


Dinner for Four

by CMBYN_Obsessed



Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017) RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Blowjobs, Infidelity, Jealousy, M/M, Melodrama, New York City, Slow Burn, TimandArmiearefarfromperfect, handjobs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:34:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 58,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22776481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMBYN_Obsessed/pseuds/CMBYN_Obsessed
Summary: What starts off as a friendly dinner between two couples who live in the same Manhattan apartment building becomes something more. Secrets, lies, infidelity, and heartbreak.
Relationships: Elizabeth Chambers/Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet/Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet/Lily-Rose Depp
Comments: 604
Kudos: 428





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> So, let's see where this goes...
> 
> Barely edited, non-Beta'ed. My impulsivity is showing. I promise the next chapter will be more polished ;)

one

The women became friends first, of course. They were both in the lobby one afternoon, at the mailboxes, several weeks after Lily had moved in with Tim into the building. Liz was sorting through the contents of her box when the pretty, petite girl walked in with the most gorgeous quilted Chanel purse slung over her shoulder.

“What a beautiful bag,” Liz observed. She never hesitated to offer compliments. She was confident and sure of her place in the world. Lily brushed a hand over the bag, proud that she owned something so worthy of notice.

“Thank you,” Lily replied, her voice tinged with a light French accent. “I got it from that new consignment shop on 13th, Beacon’s Closet? I have found the most amazing steals there.”

“Oh? I haven’t been yet.” Liz stepped forward to examine the bag. “It’s in great condition. Have you been to Clementine’s? That’s my spot.”

They talked for several minutes, comparing consignments finds, before parting ways.

A few weeks later, they ran into each other again, just outside the building. They chatted again, this time properly introducing themselves.

“Would you like to come up for coffee? My boyfriend is at auditions all morning. I’d love the company,” Lily offered.

Liz took her up on it, and a few minutes later they were sitting at Lily’s kitchen counter, enjoying an espresso. Liz noted that her apartment was much smaller than the one she shared with her husband, Armie, but it was airy and smartly decorated. She guessed Lily to be a few years younger than Liz, but they seemed to have a lot in common. Liz had few friends in New York, so she was eager to find someone nearby to shop and gossip with.

“We should do dinner sometime, the four of us. I wonder if the boys would get along. What’s Tim like?”

Lily set down her coffee cup and thought for a moment. “He is sweet, maybe a bit shy. He can be hard to read sometimes. He’s an actor, so you know how they are.”

Liz smiled, unsure of what Lily meant. Her own husband was an open book. Gregarious, friendly, and funny.

“Armie can get along with literally anyone. They’ll be fine, I’m sure. Let’s pick a date.” They made plans to meet for dinner that Friday night at a local pizzeria.

Tim came home from his auditions later that morning, tired and irritable. He threw himself down on the couch, pulling a pillow over his face.

“I need a nap,” he grumbled.

Lily perched herself on the arm of the couch. “How was your morning?” she hesitantly. Tim’s mood was often dictated by how he felt he did on any given audition, although even on his best day his mood was unpredictable. Lily always felt him out before making a request or asking him a question.

He shrugged noncommittally, not removing the pillow from his face. She decided to let him be for the moment and tell him later that she’d made dinner plans for them that weekend. She returned to the kitchen to pour herself another espresso, and soon the sounds of his slumber filled their apartment. The familiar feeling of ennui overcame her, as it often did since she had followed her boyfriend from Europe to his hometown of Manhattan two months ago.

They had met while Tim was doing a play in London. Lily had lived in a flat there with three girlfriends, sometimes modeling, but mostly making her money as a shop assistant at Top Shop. They had dated for the three months that Tim's play ran at the Globe Theater. It had mostly just been fun, but Lily’s feeling had started to run deep for the startling handsome, enigmatic actor.

Closing night, Lily had cried to Tim, begging him to stay in London a bit longer. She had fallen for him hard in that short time, but didn’t think their young relationship could survive across the Atlantic ocean. He turned her down, telling her that he had to get back to New York, He added, half-joking, that she could come with him. Lily had jumped on his offer before he had a chance to recant or reconsider.

They had been together in New York for almost eight weeks. Lily had found part-time work as a hostess at a French restaurant near Central Park, but she was perpetually lonely and homesick. Tim was often gone on auditions or with his friends, and when he _was_ home, he was moody and reserved. Lily wondered if she had made a mistake following him to New York.

Tim woke from his nap a few hours later just as Lily was returning from a quick trip to the market. He gave her a soft smile and her heart quickened with relief. He seemed to be a in a better mood. He stretched and walked into the kitchen to examine what she had bought, giving her a quick peck on the cheek as he passed.

“So, I made a friend today,” she started.

“Oh?” Tim popped a grape in his mouth, then opened the fridge to get some juice.

"Oui. Her name is Liz. She lives on the sixth floor with her husband, Armie.” Lily paused, hoping that Tim wouldn’t get upset at the next piece of information. “I made plans for us to meet them for dinner Friday night.”

Tim froze in place, then groaned. “No! Lily!” He turned to stare at her in disbelief. “I can’t believe you made plans without checking with me first.”

She shifted on her feet, feeling a pang of regret. “She’s… she’s nice. And she said that her husband is very friendly.” She took a step towards Tim. “It will be fun. I promise!”

He sighed, giving in. He knew that Lily felt isolated and alone, and that he really did very little to help this situation. He had his own friends and most of them did not have girlfriends, so he usually went out with them without her. He cared for Lily, but he often wondered how he had found himself living with her. He was 24, and she was only 21. It was if a tide had swept him into the situation before he was fully aware of its ramifications.

“It’s just one dinner, right?” He gave a tight smile. “I’m sure it will be fine.”

Later that night, a similar conversation transpired quite differently in the Hammer household. Armie was eager to hear about their new, young neighbors and was looking forward to dinner Friday night. He and Liz had moved to New York from Los Angeles a year ago and, while Armie had made friends at work and a few from his gym, he still missed his regular crew on the West Coast. He was always interested in meeting new people. He loved his wife, but she often exhausted him with her talk of fashion and celebrities. He looked forward to having another male to talk with.

Hopefully he and this Tim could become friends.


	2. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two couples meet for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another un-Beta'ed chapter. I was eager to get this one out to all of you, and hopefuly it's not an indecipherable mess!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is giving this impulsive little fic a chance. Hoping I won't let you all down!
> 
> xoxox

two

**Tim**

Friday night arrived and Tim appeared to be permanently attached to the couch.

“Tim, please get dressed. We’re supposed to meet them in less than an hour,” Lily pleaded for the third time in ten minutes.

Tim threw his head back onto the back of the sofa in irritation. “Fuck, Lily. I am so tired. I just want to chill. Can we _please_ cancel? Tell them I’m sick or something.”

Lily walked over to where he was sitting and gave him reproachful look. “I am _not_ going to cancel 45 minutes before we are supposed to meet. That would so rude! I will go by myself if you are going to be that big of a baby.”

Tim stretched out his lanky body with a sigh. “Fine, FINE. I’m getting up. What did you say the husband does? Is he a Wall Street bro or some advertising douche?”

Lily swatted his arm. “Don’t be such a snob. I don’t know what he does, but I am sure he is perfectly nice.”

Tim rolled his eyes and huffed into the bedroom to throw on jeans and a sweatshirt. No way was he dressing up for these people.

*****

Tim and Lily arrived at the restaurant ten minutes late, but were still there before Liz and Armie. They were seated and ordered some drinks. Tim took a sip of his beer and asked with annoyance, “Did you say they’re from L.A.? Typical.”

Lily opened her mouth to reply when her face broke out into a smile instead. “They’re here! There’s Liz!”

Tim followed her pointed finger to a stunning, statuesque brunette, dressed beautifully in a mini-dress and boots, her hair pulled into a high, tight ponytail. Close behind her was a walking Roman statue of a man. Tall, blond, chiseled face, and dressed as if he had fallen out of the pages of GQ magazine.

Tim’s mouth went dry.

Liz and Lily embraced, then Liz pulled Tim into a warm hug, as well. “You must be Tim. So nice to meet you!”

Tim returned the embrace reluctantly, his eyes never leaving the husband. What did Lily say his name was?

“This is my husband, Armie. Armie… Tim.”

Armie shook Tim’s hand, giving him a wide, unguarded grin, obviously unaffected by the rush of emotions that Tim was experiencing. Tim returned it with his own tight smile, his stomach tightening at the feel of Armie’s large, heated palm enveloping Tim’s smaller hand.

“Great to meet you, Tim. I’m sure we’ll be fast friends,” he said with a wink that went straight to Tim’s dick.

The two couples took their seats; Armie flagged down the waitress and ordered a pricey bottle of red for the table. The women took the lead on the conversation, barreling through a wide range of topics in a matter of minutes. Tim listened with half an ear, thoroughly distracted by presence of the stunningly gorgeous slab of a man sitting across the table from him. He tried not to stare, and looked away quickly whenever Armie’s eyes swept across the table at him.

Tim felt no guilt for his attraction. He had always been interested in both men and women, and had actually dated more guys in his life than girls. He found that, in general, men did not get as emotionally attached as quickly as women and, at 24, that was a huge plus in a relationship. Exhibit A: Lily was now somehow his roommate. Yes, he had invited her to come to New York with him (after several glasses of Chianti and an above-average blow job), but he honestly thought that it would mostly be just like dating, but more convenient. He had never lived with someone before, and he was shocked at how utterly and thoroughly mistaken that idea had been. He felt responsible for Lily. She was _always around_ , wanting attention, or conversation, or just some company, like a super needy houseplant. 

In response, Tim was spending more and more time away. And for THAT he did feel guilty.

“Tim? Liz just asked you a question...” Tim was startled out of his reverie by Lily’s voice. He blinked and looked at her, chastened.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Liz. What did you ask?” Tim threw a gracious smile in her direction.

“That’s okay. I asked what show you were in at the Globe in London?”

“Oh, yes, sorry! I played Silvius in As You Like It for three months. It was an incredible experience. I’m afraid it spoiled me for future acting jobs,” he replied with a shrug.

The conversation turned to Tim’s acting background, his start at a performing arts high school nearby, and his roles in off-Broadway shows right after graduation. He started to get uncomfortable as the main topic of conversation, so he turned to the older man at the table.

“And what do you do, Armie? Investments?” he guessed, judging from Armie’s wardrobe and unabashed confidence.

Armie chuckled. “Oh, no no. I actually head the philanthropic arm of my family’s company. I vet and choose the organizations that we donate to every year, as well as organize some of our own fundraising events.”

Tim’s eyebrows rose at this information. Philanthropy? That was a much sexier career in Tim’s eyes than investment banking. Armie suddenly went for a 9 to a 9.5. If he had a big dick (and Tim had his suspicions), he’d be a solid perfect 10.

He opened his mouth to ask another question when Liz suddenly popped off of her chair.

“I need to go to the ladies’ room. Lily, come with?” Lily stood up and followed Liz down the hall, happily chattering the entire way. Armie watched them go then turned to Tim. Tim licked his lips nervously; having this stunning man’s eyes on him was unnerving.

“So how long have you and Lily been together?”

Tim shifted in his chair; this was not a topic he wanted to discuss with Armie.

“We started dating in London back in February. We moved here together in May.”

“Hmm, fast. Must be serious then.” Armie said it as a statement of fact. Tim felt he needed to dispute this.

“No, not really. I mean, I know we live together, but we’re still really _just_ dating, and…” He stopped talking, embarrassed by the knowing smirk on Armie’s face.

“I get it, Tim. I do. You’re young. Don’t rush into anything, trust me.” Armie’s piercing sapphire eyes seemed to plead with Tim to heed his words.

Tim stared back at Armie for a moment, wondering why he was giving him this advice. Before he could reply, the women returned from the bathroom, halting any further possible discussion on the subject.

The men’s eyes met again for the shortest of moments, and Tim felt a jolt of electricity pass between them. He considered for the first (but not the last) time that perhaps Armie did feel a bit of the same attraction that Tim experienced that night.

He needed to know. But how?

**Armie**

Armie was a straight man. This was not a fact that Armie ever questioned about himself. His first crush was a girl, his first kiss was from a girl, he lost his virginity to a girl, and when he masturbated, he usually thought of women. Usually.

So what if there had been times he had done a double-take at an especially handsome man walking by? He appreciated beauty in all its forms; he was not biased against his own gender.

And yes… there had been a few instances when his eyes had wandered down the form of a particularly well-built colleague, his gaze lingering a bit too long on the front of the man’s trousers. But that had only happened once or twice.

And then… that one time, when he was home alone for a night and had had a few too many bourbons. He had found himself watching men engaging in some surprisingly hot anal sex on Porn Hub until the wee hours of the morning.

But every man is curious sometimes. He had _no doubt_ that every one of his friends had Googled man-on-man porn at some point in their lives.

So it was because of this total assurance in his identity as a hetero male that Armie was completely taken aback by how profoundly attracted he was to Liz’s new friend’s boyfriend.

Tim.

Tim.

Tim.

Armie loved the sound of his name. He said it aloud a few more times while Liz was in their bathroom, engaged in her nightly 45 minute bedtime skin regimen.

Tim.

Tim’s intense green eyes. Tim’s plush, bowed lips. Tim’s soft curls and sharp jaw. 

Armie cock was starting to fill and swell as he tried to imagine how Tim would look on his knees, his erection heavy in Tim’s hot mouth. Armie snaked a hand into his boxers, and grasped his now rock-hard dick firmly, started to pull and…

“So, I think the night was success. What do you think?” Liz wandered out of the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.

Armie quickly yanked his hand out of his underpants and prayed that Liz hadn’t realized in what he had been about to engage.

“Oh, sure. They’re a nice couple. I love Lily’s accent.”

“Isn’t she ADORABLE? Oh my god, I love her. We’re going to go shopping on Sunday, I think. You and Tim should get together then, too, while we’re out. Maybe go to lunch or something?”

Armie pulled the blanket up to his stomach to hide his still throbbing erection.

“Sounds like a good idea. Lunch or something.”

Or something.


	3. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim goes to Armie's for a man-date.
> 
> Warning: it's a long one!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another un-beta'ed chapter. All errors are mine! 
> 
> Thank you to my readers for the incredible reception this new fic has received. It has been very fun to write. Thank you for each and every Kudos and comment. They are SO APPRECIATED!
> 
> And thank you to my fellow Discord sprinters for giving me advice on words and phrasing. They help me when my brain is not working properly!
> 
> xoxox

three

**Tim**

It was the morning after the couple’s night out, and Tim had gone down to the lobby to retrieve his and Lily’s mail. He was about to open his box when he heard a familiar voice—Armie. Tim peaked around the corner, and there he was, talking to the doorman. Tim plastered himself against the wall so he wouldn’t be seen, and watched Armie for a few moments. He was wearing nylon short-shorts and a perspiration-soaked t-shirt. He had obviously just come in from a jog. Tim couldn’t stop from staring at the miles of exposed leg in Armie’s tiny running shorts. He was so muscular, with just the right amount of downy hair dusting his thighs, leading up and into the leg opening. Tim’s gut ached with want.

He turned away before he could be seen, taking out the key to open his mailbox. Suddenly, a hand flew up from behind, hitting the box just above his own, an arm trapping him against the wall of boxes. Tim froze, feeling the presence of a body behind him.

“Liked what you saw?” murmured Armie’s deep voice, inches from his ear.

Tim turned slowly, coming face-to-chin with the half-dressed sex god.

“Armie…” His voice was raspy.

Tim’s brain stuttered; he was unable to think of a single thing to say. He could feel moist heat emanating from Armie’s body, and he longed to grab his shirt and pull him down into a wet, messy kiss. Or, at the very least, lick a few beads of sweat off his neck.

Armie stepped back to give Tim some room to move, delivering a soft punch to his shoulder, as if they were bros just joking around. Tim swallowed, trying to recover.

“So, did you have fun last night?” Armie asked, his voice suddenly light and jovial. Tim was experiencing whiplash from his tone change.

“Um, yeah… sure. Did you? And um… Liz?” Tim had almost forgotten Armie’s wife’s name. _Liz._ Her name was Liz.

Armie nodded, his eyes never leaving Tim’s face. Tim squirmed under the scrutiny.

“Liz said that she and Lily are going shopping tomorrow, and that we should hang out. What do you think? You want to hang out?”

He asked the question so easily, like it was no big deal. But Tim’s imagination immediately began working. Maybe it wasn’t such as good idea….

“Uh. Sure. Yeah. Let’s hang. Your place? I mean, or, um, you can come to mine…”

God, why did Armie make him feel like such as idiot? He was having trouble stringing together a single coherent thought.

“Let’s go my place,” Armie replied assuredly. “Here, give me your phone. I’ll add me as a contact.”

Before Tim had a chance to think twice about it, Armie had taken his phone and was typing in his cell number. Then he leaned back, lifted his arm, and took a selfie.

“For the contact picture,” he said with another fucking wink. “See you Sunday… Tim.”

“Bye, Armie,” Tim muttered to himself. Armie had already bounded into the staircase, taking the stairs all the way to his 6th floor apartment.

Tim opened his phone—Armie’s image stared back at him: sweaty, smirky and sexier than any human had a right to be. Tim leaned against the nearest wall.

“Fu-u-u-ck,” he exhaled. Was it going to be like this every time he saw Armie?

**Armie**

“I ran into Tim downstairs in the lobby. I think we’re going to hang out tomorrow. He’s going to come over and maybe we’ll watch the Yankee game.” Liz was getting on her shoes, preparing to go out shopping for the day. It occurred to Armie that she had plans to go shopping with Lily _tomorrow_ as well, but he didn’t say anything. She was trying to make a name for herself as a fashion blogger and Instagram influencer, and part of that was having a fabulous wardrobe. Good thing Armie made plenty of money to keep her in designer clothes.

“That’s great, babe. I knew you’d get along.” She brushed her lips lightly against Armie’s damp forehead. “Ew. Please go shower. Anyway, I’ll be home by dinner. Should we go get sushi?”

Armie sighed. _Sushi again._ It would be nice to just stay home. He would love to grill a few steaks and watch a movie, but Liz loved to go out. To see and be seen.

“Sure, babe. Sushi sounds great.”

Moments later, she was gone and Armie breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have a few hours of freedom.

_It shouldn’t be this way_ , he thought for the thousandth time. He loved Liz, he did. They had known each other for almost ten years. She had been one of his best friends before they dated. But… she had changed in that time. He didn’t know exactly when (it had been a slow process), but he knew how and why. Now, everything revolved around her blog or her Instagram account, and it was fucking exhausting.

He shook off these negative thoughts that bordered on compulsive at times. If he wasn’t willing to do something about it, then he needed to find a way to live with it. He was in this relationship for life. It had been drilled into his head by his mother since he was young that marriage was sacrosanct and, once in, you stayed. She was bitter that her own husband had left her. So she relentlessly repeated: no matter what, _you stayed._ And so stay he would.

With a beleaguered sigh, Armie went to the bathroom and turned on the shower as hot as he could take it. He chuckled at the memory of the little flirtation he’d just had with his beautiful neighbor downstairs. It was just fun, not at all serious. But then he couldn’t help but wonder--had Tim looked at the picture Armie had taken yet? Would he open his phone just to see Armie’s image and then… maybe… touch himself? 

Armie pulled off his running clothes and stepped into the scalding shower, imagining Tim naked and spread eagle across his bed, his phone open to Armie’s contact photo as he pulled on his hard cock, shouting Armie’s name as he came. 

Armie leaned forward until his head hit the wall, the hot spray pelting his back. He used a slick, soapy hand to quickly jerk-off to thoughts of Tim for the second time in 12 hours.

Fuck, how was he going to look the kid in the eye tomorrow afternoon?

**Tim**

Tim had been standing outside Armie’s door for almost a full minute, a six-pack of Flat Tire beer and a bag of kettle chips held securely in one arm, his other arm frozen halfway between himself and the door, fist curled and ready to knock. Something was stopping him from making actual contact and starting his visit.

_What’s the big deal?_ Tim asked himself. _Just hanging out with a neighbor to watch the Yankee game. Nothing to be nervous about._

Yet Tim felt more like someone about to go on a first date than a dude going to watch sports with another dude.

_Fucking get over it,_ he chastened himself for the tenth time in the last ten minutes. Through sheer force of will, he finally rapped on the door.

Seconds later, Armie appeared in the entryway. He was once again dressed beautifully (or maybe he just looked beautiful in everything he wore?) in white cargo shorts and a baby blue t-shirt that brought out the color of his eyes. Not that Tim noticed.

“Tim, so glad you could make it! Come on in,” Armie greeted him effortlessly. He opened the door wide so Tim could enter, then took the beer and chips out of his hands. “You didn’t have to bring anything. I’ve got _so much_ food. I was going to grill up a tri-tip. Do you eat beef?”

Tim’s eyes widened at the question. “Oh my god, yes. Lily is a pescatarian, so we mostly cook fish and tofu. I can’t remember the last time I ate meat.”

Armie’s grin grew. “I’ve got some asparagus and potatoes, too, if you want something healthy with your dead cow,” he said with a laugh.

Armie handed Tim a beer and gestured to the giant L-shaped couch taking up most of the living room. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Tim took the bottle and walked over to the window. The Hammer’s apartment was higher up than Tim’s, and faced Central Park. Their view of trees and buildings in the distance far surpassed the rooftops that Tim could see out his own windows. He was impressed.

He took a seat in the middle of the couch. “Your place is really nice, Armie. Much bigger than ours.”

Armie walked over and sat only a few inches from Tim, despite there being plenty of space on the rest of the huge couch and two other armchairs. He turned to face Tim, pulling a knee up on the cushion.

“Thanks. But you’re doing really well, Tim. When I was your age, I shared an apartment with three other guys in Queens.” He chuckled at the memory. “It was a fucking pigsty.”

Tim smiled at the mental image. He believed it; most guys were slobs.

“It’s actually my sister’s apartment. I’m subletting it from her while she’s in France for a year, dancing professionally. Actually, it’s part of the reason I asked Lily to move here. I couldn’t really afford the rent on my own and I didn’t want to have to ask my parents for help.”

Tim felt his face flush, not at the admission that he couldn’t afford his apartment on his own, but at the mention of his live-in girlfriend.

“Hmm, not the best reason to ask a girl to move in with you,” Armie said a little smugly, raising an eyebrow at Tim.

Tim couldn’t help but glare at his patronizing tone. “Yeah, I’ve figured that out. Thanks,” he said with a bite of sarcasm.

Armie put a hand of Tim’s leg as a peace offering. “Hey, I was just teasing. I would never judge you. I’m sure you and Lily are quite happy.”

Tim looked down at Armie’s hand, so large it covered the width of Tim’s thigh. His heart was racing. Between Armie’s proximity and now the pressure and heat from his touch on his leg, Tim was having difficulty breathing. Armie left his hand there a beat longer than needed, then removed it only to casually drape his arm along with the back of the couch behind Tim’s head. Tim longed to scoot just a few inches closer to Armie and lay his head on his chest.

Tim took a breath, trying to steady his nerves. _Not a date,_ he reminded himself again. _Just make some fucking small talk already._ He took a long swig of his beer, finishing the bottle.

“So how long have you and Liz lived in New York?” He actually did not want to talk about the Hammer marriage at all, but it was the only safe thing he could think to ask.

Armie shrugged. “About a year. Liz wants to move back to LA, but I like it here. She misses the Hollywood social scene. Too many theater-types in New York. No offense.”

“None taken,” Tim replied, although, to be honest, he was a bit offended. “She’s very beautiful. Have you two been together a long time?”

Armie didn’t answer, instead he gazed at Tim with a soft expression that Tim had no idea how to read. He was about to repeat the question, thinking that perhaps Armie hadn’t heard, when Armie replied abruptly, “You know what, Tim? I don’t feel like talking about Liz. I want to hear more about your theater career. But first, let me get you another drink.”

Armie returned with two more beers for them, and quizzed Tim about his high school years, his favorite movies, what roles he would love to play someday. The more they spoke and drank, the more comfortable Tim grew. Armie seemed truly interested in everything he had to say and once Tim got used to those blue eyes looking so intensely into his own, he was able to talk without stuttering with nerves.

Tim liked how Armie laughed at all his stupid jokes, and even how quick Armie was to tease him. He liked that Armie knew a lot about theater and New York, and that he was so well-read. To be honest, Tim couldn’t recall the last time he had enjoyed a conversation with someone as much as this one. And Tim didn’t fail to notice how Armie seemed to be inching closer and closer to Tim on the couch as they talked, so that Armie’s bent knee was now touching the top of Tim’s thigh. When he wanted to make a point or tease Tim, he would push his shoulder or touch his arm. Tim reveled in each small contact, and ignored the little murmur of guilt whispering in the back of his brain: _what about Lily?_

Lily who?

An hour and another beer later, Armie glanced at his watch. “Wow, where did time go? I better put the meat on. Come out to the balcony with me and keep me company while I grill.”

Tim stood up to follow Armie into the kitchen to get the meat, and immediately felt the delayed effects of the three beers he had sucked down on an empty stomach. He was dizzy and a bit lightheaded, but he also felt carefree and a bit careless. He took a moment to appreciate Armie’s perfect ass as the older man leaned into his fridge, looking for the asparagus.

“Does Liz even realize how hot you are?” he suddenly heard himself mutter, not-quite under his breath. _Fuck, where did that come from?_

Armie stood up and spun around with a surprised smile on his face. “What did you just say?” he asked, clearly wanting to hear Tim say it again.

Tim flushed with mortification. _How was he THIS drunk?_

“Nothing. I… I’m just buzzed. Sorry.” He looked down for a moment, but couldn’t stop himself from glancing up from under his eyelashes to see what Armie was doing. Armie was staring at Tim with a shit-eating grin on his face.

“Never apologize for saying what you really think, Tim.” He turned back to the fridge, grabbed the plate of food, then closed the door with his hip. “Come on, let’s go grill.”

Then Armie turned and left the kitchen as if nothing had happened. Tim took a deep breath, reprimanded himself for acting like a drunken idiot, and followed Armie to the balcony.

**Armie**

Armie’s head was stuck far in his fridge when he heard Tim’s voice, low and rough from alcohol, utter the words, “Does Liz even realize how hot you are?”

At least that’s what he _thought_ Tim had said. And if that _is_ what he said… well, Armie was not sure yet what to do about the fact that it was becoming increasingly evident with each passing hour that the chemistry between him and Tim was crackling like a raging fire.

He stood up and regarded Tim with a dose of skepticism for his own protection.

“What did you just say?” He kept a smile on his face, wanting Tim to feel comfortable enough to repeat his drunken words, but Tim’s face was already colored with regret. Armie considered ribbing him, probing him to admit what he said. But to what end?

_You’re not going to act on it,_ he chided himself. Oh, he was tempted, there was no doubt. He had been tormenting himself all day, sitting close enough to Tim to feel the heat of his body and smell the scent of his soap. He did it not to be a flirt or a tease, or anything else even remotely nefarious like that. No, _he_ _just couldn’t help himself_. If Tim moved close, he wanted to be even closer. If Tim spoke, he wanted to hear every word. And If Tim wanted _him_ , well...

But nothing was going to come of it. Nothing _could_ come of it.

“I’m just buzzed. Sorry,” Tim stammered, and Armie’s heart almost broke with how sweetly embarrassed he was. He had to reassure him in some way.

“Never apologize for saying what you really think, Tim. Come on, let’s go grill,” he replied with what he hoped was a comforting smile, leading the way out to the Hammer’s spacious balcony.

Armie tossed their meal onto the grill and turned to Tim who had somehow acquired yet another beer. He was gazing out across Central Park, looking a little unsteady on his feet.

“Man, you really have it all, Armie. A great job, a beautiful apartment with an amazing view, a pretty wife.” His voice sounded wistful, maybe even a bit sad. He glanced at Armie, his eyes glazed. “I guess I’m a bit jealous.”

Armie set down the tongs he was holding and took a step towards Tim. “Don’t waste your time being jealous of someone else, Tim. You never know what battles they might be fighting.”

Tim turned to Armie so they were facing each other, their bodies only inches apart. A light breeze blew as the sun went behind a cloud; Tim suddenly shivered. Armie fought the impulse to take him in his arms and bury his face in the nook of Tim’s neck. 

Tim seemed to sense his struggle. His paused to consider his words; when he finally spoke, his voice was almost a whisper. “What battles are you fighting… Armie?”

The stood with their eyes locked for several seconds, then Armie shook his head. “Things are never what they seem, Tim. No one’s life is perfect.” 

Armie suddenly realized that he was revealing too much. Tim was drunk, that was his excuse, but Armie was letting his feelings for this man (who was practically a stranger) allow him to let down his guard. He turned back to the grill.

“So, how do you like your meat, Tim? Medium rare?”

And just like that, the moment was over. Armie half-hoped that Tim’s beer buzz would control his mouth again and perhaps he’d make some sort of sexual innuendo about the meat. But Tim had also seemed to have realized that they’d already said too much. They swerved back to safe topics of conversation—Armie’s job, Tim’s family, the buildings co-op board—and ate their dinner.

After they’d finished their meal, Tim offered to help clean up, and the two men did the dishes side-by-side. Armie insisted on wearing dish gloves, for which Tim mocked him mercilessly, until Armie threw a fistful of dish soap bubbles at him to shut him up. The fought and laughed until they were both soaking wet with bubbles in their hair.

Tim glanced at the clock and saw how late it was. He told Armie regretfully that he had promised Lily he would be home hours ago. Armie reluctantly walked him to the door, not wanting him to go despite the late hour. Tim had sobered up considerably since eating, and seemed a little embarrassed over his behavior earlier in the day.

“I had a really great time, Armie. Sorry I got a little drunk before dinner,” he said, his face flushing at the memory.

Armie face softened. “Don’t be silly. You were actually funny… and a little cute. And I had a really great time, too.”

The two men stood smiling at each other in the doorway, unsure of how to say goodbye. Pages of unsaid words hung between them. Tim held out his hand to shake; Armie regarded it, then pulled Tim in for a hug instead. No way was he going to miss the opportunity to have Tim in his arms.

**Tim**

“Let’s do it again soon,” Armie said softly into Tim’s ear, and Tim could have sworn he felt Armie press his nose gently into his curls and inhale. Tim’s stomach was a jumble of nerves as Armie closed the door behind him.

Once in the hallway, Tim couldn’t help but remember how he had thought hours ago like he was going on a first day. And now that the day was over, it felt even more like he had just had _**the best first date ever**._ Tim immediately wanted to make a plan for when he could see Armie again. When he got to his apartment, Lily was fortunately not home yet either. He lay in bed and reviewed every minute of the day, amazed at how well it had gone and with how blissed-out he had felt.

_What the hell was he going to do?_


	4. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys run into each other again. Feelings are acknowledged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another unbeta'ed chapter. Don't know why, but I am very impatient with this fic. Please forgive any and all errors! 
> 
> Thank you to all my incredible readers. I appreciate every Kudos, and every comment. 
> 
> xoxoxo

four

**Tim**

Tim tossed and turned fitfully that night, his brain endlessly replaying the evening’s events with Armie. He felt ridiculously attracted to the older man, but who wouldn’t when Armie looked the way he looked? But Tim couldn’t shake the feeling deep in his gut that his attraction was reciprocated. The way Armie sat _so close_ to him all night. The way he stared at Tim, especially when he thought Tim wasn’t looking. How he had refused to talk about Liz, and instead asked question after question about Tim’s life.

And that hug at the end of the night. Oh, that hug. Armie had gripped Tim so tight, breathing in Tim’s scent… Tim had half-expected Armie to sweep him into a kiss. And Tim would have kissed him back, 100 percent.

_He had to see him again._

Tim finally fell into a restless sleep, then woke early the next morning, his first thoughts of Armie. Lily was asleep, so Tim slipped out of bed to make coffee and get ready for his day. He had acting class at 10am, then a call-back audition at 2pm.

He sat at his small kitchen table and opened his phone to Armie’s contact. He stared at his picture for several long minutes, and an ache that would soon become familiar began to throb between his legs. Tim considered texting him, thanking Armie for having him over. That wouldn’t be weird, right? He opened a new message, but couldn’t think of what to say that wouldn’t sound thirsty or awkward. He turned off his phone and slammed it onto the table with a frustrated, “Fuck!”

“What’s wrong?”

Tim’s head shot up, startled from his Armie-fixation by Lily’s soft voice. She had appeared in the kitchen doorway, stretching and yawning. “It is too early to be so agitated.”

Tim shook his head. “Nothing, just work stuff. Why are you up so early?” Lily’s shift at the restaurant never started until dinner, leaving her often idle during the day.

Her face brightened. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you last night—Liz has hired me as her part-time assistant! I start this morning!”

Tim stared at Lily, trying to process this unexpected piece of news. Was this a very bad thing thing? Or potentially a very good thing?

“Oh, that’s…. great? How did that happen?”

Lily began chattering excitedly. “So, I was complaining to Liz yesterday about how bored and lonely I am here, and also how difficult it has been to afford my half of the rent. Well, she told me that she has been considering getting an assistant to help run her social media accounts for some time now, and that it was perfect timing for her to hire me! _And_ she said that she loves my fashion sense, and maybe I could even help her create content!”

Lily was glowing as she told Tim all this. He smiled and tried to sound enthusiastic. “Well, that sounds like an ideal opportunity for you. That was really nice of Liz to offer you the job, and… ”

He paused. It suddenly occurred to Tim that this position meant that Lily would be staying in New York City indefinitely. He realized he had been secretly hoping that, between her homesickness and poor financial situation, Lily would eventually decide to return to London. Liz had just thwarted that hope. He pressed his lips together, trying to hide the flurry of emotions he was feeling, but Lily noticed his abrupt change in demeanor.

“Are you sure you’re happy for me? Because you don’t _look_ that happy…” Lily put her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. Tim smiled tightly, trying to hide his inner turmoil.

“No, really, it’s great. Well, I’m going to hop in the shower now.” He gave Lily a peck on the cheek and quickly exited the kitchen. He could feel her steely glare on his back as he walked away.

*****

Tim went about his morning, trying to focus on his acting class and running errands and not on Armie, but it was futile. He found himself opening his phone to Armie’s picture again and again, wondering what Armie was doing at any given moment. He made the decision to send him a text thanking him again for dinner when he got home. He _had_ to make some sort of contact with Armie, or he would go crazy.

He arrived back at his building between his class and audition to grab some lunch. Lily had plans to help Liz until the afternoon, so he was looking forward to having the apartment to himself.

_Maybe this new job will turn out to be a good thing after all,_ he thought. It appeared that at the very least, it would give him some room to breathe without Lily around. He got on the elevator, eager to get up to his place and have some privacy, when a familiar voice boomed across the lobby, “Hold the elevator, please!”

Tim’s stomach flipped as he recognized the voice as Armie’s. He pressed the “door open” button as Armie, in all his 6’5” glory, burst into the small space.

“Thanks, man,” Armie panted, then looked up and saw that it was Tim who had held the door for him. Tim wasn’t sure, but Armie appeared to flush at the sight of him. He swallowed and licked his lips.

“Tim. It’s so good to see you.”

The elevator door slid shut, sealing the two of them into the tight space, alone.

Tim’s eyes swept over Armie. He was dressed for work, in a beautifully cut navy suit and grey tie. He looked… amazing.

Tim struggled to find his voice. “Yeah, same. I… I was just about to go home and shoot you a text.”

Armie’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “You were? Because I was just thinking of stopping by your place. I know the girls are out taking photos for Liz’s blog.”

Armie took a step closer to Tim. “I had a great time yesterday,” he said, his voice low. Tim fought back a whimper.

The elevator stopped at the third floor for Tim. He pressed the “door open” button and turned to Armie.

“I did, too. Really, such a great time. Do you…do you want to come over for a few minutes?”

Armie nodded quickly. “I’d love that.”

**Armie**

Armie had been equally distracted at work by thoughts of Tim. Ever since Liz had mentioned at breakfast that Lily was going to start working for her that afternoon, Armie had been unable to get the idea of going to see Tim while the girls were working out of his head.

_Nothing will happen,_ he assured himself. _We had such a great time yesterday; I just want to say hello._

He decided that he would stop by Tim’s apartment at lunch, just to see if he was home. It wasn’t something he really ever did, go home for lunch, but his work was close enough to his building that he was able to rationalize the quick trip.

His nerves started to rattle as he got close to the building, and he began to second guess his idea. Maybe Tim would be annoyed that he stopped by, uninvited? He should probably text first. He entered the lobby and saw the elevator already there, the door starting to close.

“Hold the elevator!” he called, running to catch it before the door shut completely. “Thanks, man,” he gasped, a little out of breath, and he looked up to see Tim standing there. And wow, did he look good. He had on a simple green button-up shirt and dark jeans, but his hair was more styled than usual, his curls falling into his eyes in soft ringlets. His rosy lips turned up in surprised, causing Armie’s heart to dance. He longed to press Tim against the wall of the elevator and suck on his long, pale neck, but he settled for some low-key flirting, instead.

Tim invited him to his place, and of course Armie agreed. That was what he wanted, and it appeared that that was what Tim wanted, too. He followed Tim through the front door which opened directly into the living room. The apartment was small, but surprisingly attractive. A few choice pieces of modern art adorned the walls and the furnishing was minimalistic and smart.

“Nice,” Armie admired.

“Don’t forget, it’s my sister’s place. I can’t take credit for any of it. Here, I’ll give you a tour.” He gestured around the room, pointing. “The kitchen is over there, this is the living room, out there is the balcony, and through there is the bedroom.” He chuckled. “Not much to it.”

“Just one bedroom?” Armie asked with a smirk.

Tim rolled his eyes. “Yes, just one bedroom. Are you hungry?” He walked towards the small kitchen. “I can make us some grilled cheese?”

Armie followed Tim into the kitchen then took a seat at his small kitchen table. “Grilled cheese sounds fabulous.”

Tim started looking through his fridge for ingredients. “Let’s see, cheese, butter… oh, hey! I have some bacon! I can throw that on, too,” He turned to Armie. “You like bacon, right?”

“Who doesn’t? Just crazy people, right?”

Tim grinned. “Right. We think alike.”

Armie knew that Tim was only talking about bacon, but he couldn’t help but smile at the other possible implications. “Yeah, I think we do, Tim.”

Tim stopped sorting through ingredients and turned to look at Armie. Armie tried to read his expression, but as always with Tim, he couldn’t.

“So… do you always come home for lunch? Or was it a special occasion?” Tim finally asked with raised eyebrows, and then returned to his sandwich-making duties.

“Do you want the truth?”

Tim glanced over his shoulder with another eye roll. “No, lie to me, Armie.”

Armie grinned. “So, no, I never come home for lunch. But today I thought I’d stop by to see you.”

Tim turned all the way around, pointing at Armie with his buttery knife. “You can home to see… me?”

Armie took a sip of the glass of water that Tim had given him, suddenly embarrassed at his admission. “Yes?”

Tim blinked a few times, processing this information. “But… why?”

All of reasons Armie had to come see Tim—to say thank you for his visit yesterday, to tell him how much fun he had, just to _see_ him—seemed so revealing now. Armie took another sip of water to buy himself time. He decided to go with the simplest version of the truth.

“I had a really good time with you yesterday, and I just wanted to see you again.” He stomach was suddenly fluttering. He felt like a school boy admitting his feelings to his crush. Would Tim think him inappropriate or too forward? But instead, a grateful smile spread across Tim’s face.

“I wanted to see you, too, Armie. In fact, I was going to text you to see if you wanted to get together again this week.”

“Well, here I am.” The two men grinned stupidly at each other for several seconds, before Tim returned to cooking.

They ate their sandwiches at Tim’s tiny table. Armie’s long legs were pressed against Tim’s in the small space underneath, but neither of them moved away. Their conversation came easily, as it had the day before. Tim told Armie about his audition, and Armie told Tim more about his job.

“So, what do you think about Lily going to work for Liz?” Armie asked.

Tim shrugged. “Hey, if it keeps her busy and happy, I’m all for it.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and then looked into Armie’s blue eyes. “If it weren’t for that job, she’d be here right now.”

Armie leaned forward, putting his elbows on the table. “Then I’m all for it, too.” He stood up from the table. “I better get back. I have work, and you have an audition in an hour.”

Tim glanced at the clock on the wall, as if he had lost track of time. “Oh fuck, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten. I’ll walk you out.”

Armie stopped and turned at the door to gaze down at Tim. He had déjà vu from last night, with that feeling that he was saying goodbye to a date, rather than a friend, just as Tim had had.

“I’m glad we ran into each other. Let’s do it again?”

Tim stared up at him, his face a jumble of emotions.

And then, with a look of determination on his face, Tim put a hand on Armie’s shoulder, lifted himself up on his toes, and pressed his lips hard against Armie’s. The warmth of Tim’s mouth on his own was a shock to Armie, and without a thought, he kissed Tim back. He wrapped his arms around Tim’s waist and felt a sense of home… that this was where he was supposed to be. Tim hummed with pleasure and pulled him in tighter, but Armie suddenly came to his senses.

As right as this felt, it was still wrong.

He pulled away, immediately feeling the loss of Tim's warmth against him. “Tim, I.... we can’t.”

Tim wiped his mouth, looking contrite. “I’m so sorry, Armie. I shouldn’t have done that. But… you feel it, too... don’t you?”

He looked at Armie with pleading eyes. Armie wanted to lie to him, to say ‘Feel what, Tim?’ but he couldn’t. He was feeling _everything_ Tim was feeling. He had kissed back, and it had been incredible.

“Of course I do, Tim. But… I can’t act on it. I just can’t.” He leaned against the door, banging his head back in frustration. “Fuck, maybe we shouldn’t see each other again.”

Tim reached out to Armie, grabbing his bicep. “No, no, Armie. We can be good. I promise, it won’t happen again. Not if you don’t want it to.”

Armie sighed. “That’s the problem, Tim. I _do_ want it to happen again.”

He gave a sad smile, and turned to leave Tim’s apartment before he could change his mind.


	5. five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The slow burn continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick bridge chapter. Things are being set into motion...
> 
> Thank you for reading and commenting! I promise, some smut is coming soon!

five 

**Tim**

Tim made it to his audition on-time, but his mind was elsewhere and he was sure that he had botched it. He left the building agitated, his brain going 100 miles-a-minute. He got home and immediately cracked open a beer, flopping onto the couch to marinate in his obsessive thoughts.

Armie. That hug. Those eyes. That _kiss._

And then other, less agreeable thoughts: Lily… Liz…

What were they going to do? It seemed that Armie had made up his mind already: they were going to do nothing. Just ignore this ridiculous attraction that was humming and growing between them. But Tim was not sure at all if he would be able to do the same. Knowing that Armie was just three floors above him at any given moment? Hoping and fearing that he would run into him again every time he left his apartment? It was no way to live.

Tim took another long swig of his beer. No, he was not sure at all if ignoring Armie was something he could do.

That night, Tim met his friend, Will, for pizza. He felt like he was going mad, so he had to talk to _someone_ about what was happening. Will, who was also bisexual and quite open-minded in general, was the only one of his friends he felt he could trust enough to confide in.

They settled in at their table, digging into their half cheese/half pepperoni pizza. Will eyed Tim with concern. He had known Tim for many years; he could tell when something was bothering him.

“Spill it, Timo. What’s going on?” he asked with a mouth full of cheese.

Tim chewed his pizza thoughtfully, trying to figure out where to begin. He wiped his lips, took a deep breath and started.

“So, you know how it’s been a little rough since Lily moved in with me?”

Will nodded quickly, rolling his eyes. He had been (like all of Tim’s friends) aghast when Tim returned from London with the additional luggage of Lily in tow.

“Yeah. Not surprising, considering you barely knew each other when you decided to drag her across the Atlantic to co-habitat with you.”

Tim glared at Will. “ANYWAY. So, there is a new wrinkle. A gorgeous, 6 foot 5 wrinkle, and he lives three floors above me.”

Will’s eyebrows shot up. Tim continued. “With his wife.”

Will face fell. “Oh, Tim. No, no, no. Nothing has happened… right?” 

Tim's nose wrinkled with guilt. “Not, um, _really_...”

Will sighed. “Okay, just start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

Tim spent the next 15 minute recounting the entire sordid story for Will, starting with that first dinner with the Hammers, then ending with the kiss earlier that day. Will listened with his mouth agape, his eyes growing as each detail was revealed. When Tim got to the kiss, Will audibly groaned.

“Fuck, Tim. What are you going to do?”

Tim gave a bitter snort. “That’s what I need you for, dude. I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking about him. And Lily… god, she doesn’t deserve any of this.”

He dropped his face down on the table, banging his forehead in frustration.

Will knocked his beer bottle on the wooden tabletop to get Tim’s attention. His head shot up and he glared at Will.

“You need to do two things, Tim. First, you need to break up with Lily. You never should have moved in with her in the first place. You don’t love her, and you’re leading her on by living with her. Then second, and even more important, you need to leave this Armie dude alone. I get that he’s hot as hell and you have this weird flirty thing going with him. I do. But he is MARRIED. _Walk away_.”

Tim nodded in agreement, but he couldn’t stop himself from immediately thinking, _I don’t know if I can do that._

The boys finished their pizza then parted ways. Will yelled one last entreaty to Tim as he walked away. “Remember what I said, Timo! Two things. Do them both!”

Tim shot him a peace sign in reply. “Yes, sir. Talk to you later.”

*****

Back at his apartment, Tim opened the door to the surprising sound of Lily’s laughter, something he admittedly did not hear very often. He hung his keys on the entryway hook, and found her on the couch, giggling on her cell phone. She covered the mouthpiece with her hand and mouthed to Tim, _I’m talking to Liz,_ then returned to her conversation.

Tim retreated to the bedroom, relieved to not have to make conversation with Lily. He was happy that she seemed to have found a friend and confidante in Liz. He thought of Will’s fervent advice that he break up with Lily, but Tim decided to put off making that decision for now. It was late and he was exhausted.

He brushed his teeth and crawled into bed, opening his phone to Armie’s contact picture once he was snug under his covers. Lily’s voice echoed through the bedroom door, irrationally irritating Tim.

_If she could talk to Liz all night, why couldn’t he talk to Armie?_

He impulsively opened a message to Armie, and typed it out before he had a chance to think it through.

Tim: _I’ve been thinking about you all day._

He sent the text, but was immediately hit with a wave of regret surging through his body. Fuck, why had he done that? Armie had been very clear about his feelings for Tim; he had only set himself up for rejection. He thought about sending another text apologizing for the first, when his phone dinged with a message. Tim hastily grabbed his phone to read the string of messages that lit up his screen.

Armie: _Tim_

Armie: _Fuck_

Armie: _Same_

Tim read each text as they came into his phone, his heart pounding like a sledge hammer against his ribs. He didn’t want to misinterpret Armie’s one word messages.

He texted back: _I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have texted you_

He got back an immediate reply.

Armie: _It’s ok. I have been thinking of texting you all night._

Tim stared at the words, shocked that Armie had had such an about-face in the last nine hours. A tiny spark on hope ignited in his chest. He was working out a suitable reply when one more text came through.

Armie: _I need to see you again._

**Armie**

Armie returned to work that afternoon in a state of complete discombobulation. He couldn’t think, and he definitely could not focus on anything having to do with his job. His brain had been utterly and completely taken over by one subject: Tim Chalamet.

After trying and failing for an hour to compose a coherent email to send out to his employees, he finally gave up. He locked his office door, opened Google, and typed in Tim’s first and last name. His search was immediately rewarded by a treasure trove of pictures, mentions in a few short website articles, even some videos. Although Tim was far from famous, he had a busy acting career on stage starting in high school and had been in a handful of commercials. And a bonus: he had a public Instagram account. Armie settled in for a few hours of light internet stalking.

Armie finally left his office around 6, satiated for the moment. But now that he had felt Tim’s lips on his own, and had his arms wrapped around Tim’s lithe form, his two-dimensional image was not enough. He craved the real thing like he’d never craved another person before in his life.

He was trying _so fucking hard_ to be good, but how much longer could he hold on against this tsunami of desire?

Armie called Liz on the way home to see if she wanted something for dinner, but she had already made herself a salad. He wasn’t surprised; she barely ate. Armie grabbed a burger for himself, promising himself that he would start eating healthier next week.

When he got home, Liz was hunched over her laptop, hard at work on her blog. She gave Armie a quick smile when he kissed her forehead hello but then returned immediately to her work. He went to the bedroom to eat in and catch up on the news. Through the door, he could hear Liz on the phone with someone, her braying laughter rubbing him the wrong way for some reason that night. He turned up the volume on the t.v. to drown her out.

He picked up his phone and turned it on, tempted to go look at Tim’s Instagram account for the tenth time that day, tempted to send him a text, just…. tempted. He sighed and started to push himself off his bed to brush his teeth, when his phone buzzed with a text. Armie scanned the message with his heart in his throat.

Tim: _I’ve been thinking about you all day._

This. This was going to be the thing that did him in: knowing that Tim was a few floors away, thinking of him in just the same way that he was thinking of Tim.

No man was strong enough to fight against this. Certainly Armie was not.

He stared at the text, his hands shaking. Then, before he could reconsider, he texted back exactly what was in his heart.

Armie: _Tim_

Armie: _Fuck_

Armie: _Same_

An apology text from Tim came through next, showing Armie that Tim was fighting these feelings, too. Armie sent a quick reply meant to reassure Tim, then sent another text, the nail in his coffin.

Armie: I _need to see you again._

A reply came almost immediately.

Tim: _When? Where?_

With a guilty pang, Armie realized that he had already figured out the details. He had subconsciously been planning their next rendezvous all night.

Armie: _Lily is helping Liz with a shoot on Wednesday, then they’re going to a late dinner. Can you come then? My place, 7pm?_

Tim: _I’ll be there._

Then…

Tim: _Fuck, what are we doing Armie?_

Armie took a ragged breath. That was the million dollar question. So far, they hadn’t _done_ anything. Not really. Would that still be true after Wednesday?

Armie: _I don’t know Tim, but I guess we will find out soon._


	6. six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Armie finally act on their feelings for each other. But will they regret it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a hard chapter to write, mostly because real life has been so ugly this week. But I realized that we all need an escape more than ever right now. So hopefully this chapter can take you out of what's going on in the world for few minutes.
> 
> I so appreciate all of you, and this fandom. It is nice to have a positive place to go to when the world seems to be falling apart. Here's to a harmless bit of escapism xoxoxo
> 
> Edited less than normal; forgive any errors.

six

**Tim**

For the next two days, time slowed to a crawl for Tim. Every minute was an hour, and every hour was an eternity. Tim had few obligations on Tuesday—no auditions, no classes--and he found himself taking the elevator again and again to the lobby to check the mail or to run meaningless errands. Any excuse to leave his apartment and possibly run into Armie. But he never did, and the day finally, thankfully, came to a close.

He slept fitfully Tuesday night. Lily came to bed after him, and he squeezed his eyes shut as she crawled between the sheets, feigning sleep. The air between had recently become even more tense, but Tim had decided to see what, if anything, would happen with Armie Wednesday afternoon before he broke up with her. He knew that was a cowardly path of action: he didn’t love Lily and should let her go, regardless of how his night with Armie developed. But he still wasn’t ready to pull that particular trigger, not when his heart and mind were too consumed with thoughts of Armie.

He tossed and turned for hours that night, imagining his planned rendezvous the next day. Would they kiss again? Or maybe something _more_? He pictured Armie in his running shorts, sweat dripping down his bare back. He imagined grasping the waistband and yanking Armie’s shorts off; dropping to his knees and…

Tim’s cock began to swell. He turned away from Lily, wishing he were alone so he could stroke himself to completion. He slipped a hand into his boxers, grasping his dick, which was by now half-hard.

He considered for a half-second waking up Lily for a blow-job, but the thought of her lips on him when all he could think about was Armie… no, that would not do. He was desperate for _Armie’s_ lips on him, _Armie’s_ mouth wrapped around his needy flesh.

He finally couldn’t stand it. He slipped out of his bed into the bathroom. He locked the door, grabbed the tube of lube he kept in the top drawer, and quickly coated his palm. He grabbed his painfully hard erection, and fucked his hand hard and fast. He came quickly with a muffled cry into his shoulder, washed up, and slipped back into bed.

**Armie**

Armie kept himself busy with work Tuesday and most of Wednesday, forcing his anxiety about the meet-up with Tim to the back of his thoughts. He immersed himself completely in his emails, files, phone calls, and meaningless meetings, trying to force time to go by quicker. He arrived home Wednesday just as Liz was leaving to meet Lily. She was a flurry pf primping and packing bags for the photoshoot, pausing only to give Armie the briefest buss on his cheek as she fluttered out the door.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Armie took a deep breath and finally allowed himself to feel the nervousness and anticipation he had been pushing deep into his belly for the last 48 hours. He retreated to the kitchen and poured himself a tumbler of bourbon. He felt instant relief as the amber liquid slid down his throat, warming him from the inside out.

He glanced at the clock--it was 6:45. He had 15 minutes before Tim arrived and then… what? He had not yet allowed himself to even imagine what would happen once he arrived. Armie had invited Tim because he could not stop thinking about him: thinking about his lips and hands on him, thinking about how it felt to have Tim pressed hard against the door, thinking about what it might be like to slip his hands down Tim’s pants. 

To be sure, his circumstances had not changed--he was still married; he still had never been with a man--but he somehow _felt_ different. As if that information were about someone else, someone he used to know, in another life.

He tipped the glass back, swallowing the last few drops of alcohol, then immediately poured himself some more. His nervous anticipation was morphing into something closer to urgent desire as the booze took effect.

Tim would be arriving any minute, back in Armie’s home, just like four days ago when they had dinner together. But it couldn’t be more different this time because they had finally acknowledged the truth: they couldn’t stop thinking of each other… they wanted each other… and they were seeing each other _to do something about that_.

It was really just that simple.

Armie downed his second glass of bourbon and palmed his cock, which had started to twitch as Armie reflected on the night ahead. He took out his phone to check the time when two light knocks came through the door. Armie’s heart stopped. He was there.

**Tim**

Wednesday night had finally arrived. Lily sailed off to her job with Liz, so excited that she barely said goodbye to Tim. Which was fine with Tim, as he had been preoccupied with staring into his closet, unable to make a decision about what to wear that night. He received her kiss goodbye with a distracted smile, then returned his attention to his wardrobe. He finally decided on a simple form-fitting black t-shirt, dark jeans, and black boots. He threw them on and appraised himself in the mirror. His hair was getting longer and his curls were starting to fall into his eyes. He tucked a stray lock behind his ear and nodded at himself in approval. _Looking good, Chalamet._

At 7 on the dot, Tim grabbed a bottle of wine and took the stairs to the sixth floor. He realized, too late, that he had not eaten. But then again, he really only had appetite for one thing. He arrived at Armie’s apartment, his body humming with expectation. He wasn’t sure how he would stop himself from pouncing on Armie the second he answered the door.

He knocked lightly and took a step back, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. Seconds later, the door swung open, and there was Armie in all his 6” 5’ glory. He wore form-fitting jeans and a light grey button-up, and was devastating handsome, as always. Tim swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat.

“Tim.” Armie’s voice was hoarse, and he appeared to be frozen at the door, gazing down at Tim with wonder.

Tim cleared his throat. “Can I… can I come in?”

Armie seemed to come to his senses, chuckling anxiously and opening the door wider to let Tim through. Tim could see how nervous he was and decided right then that he would take the lead if he had to.

“Of course. Come in, come in.” He closed the door and turned to Tim, who was holding up a bottle of red.

“I brought this for you. As a thank you, for the other night.”

Armie took the wine with a smile. “You didn’t have to do that, Tim.” He turned to take the bottle into the kitchen. “Can I get you a drink?”

He poured Tim some bourbon and refilled his own glass. He seemed to look everywhere but at Tim as he leaned against the kitchen counter and took a sip of his drink. Tim tipped back his own glass and emptied it in one swallow. He needed the liquid courage for what he was about to do. Because, despite all of Armie's previous flirting, all of his bravura in the lobby and while he grilled for Tim the other day, it was Tim who would have to be the bold one.

Tim set down his drink and turned to Armie, hunger in his eyes. He was ready to make his move, and had no time for small talk. Armie licked his lips, recognizing the lust-filled look on Tim’s face.

“Can I get you another…” Tim grabbed a fistful of Armie’s shirt before he had a chance to finish. “No, Armie. There is only one thing I want.”

And with that, he pulled Armie to him, their bodies crashing together. Then their lips met and suddenly, nothing else mattered. Not Liz, not Lily. Just the feel of their mouths slotted together, hot and wet and eager. Tim slipped his tongue into Armie’s, unsure if he would allow it. But Armie just moaned and pulled Tim even closer. He could feel Armie’s sizable bulge pressing insistently against his hip and he knew that he had to see it, had to taste it.

He sank to his knees and began to lower the zipper of Armie’s pants, but Armie suddenly grabbed his wrist.

“Wait, Tim, stop.” Armie was out of breath, his voice desperate. Tim paused and glanced up, fearful that Armie was about to put the brakes on something that hadn’t even started.

“I… I’ve never been with a man before. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

Tim sat back on his haunches, taking one of Armie’s hands in his own. “Do you want me to stop? I will… we can just talk….”

Armie sank back against the counter. “Fuck, Tim. No, I don’t want to stop. I just… I just wanted you to know.”

Tim turned Armie’s hand over and kissed his palm. “I’ll take good care of you. I promise. Just tell me if you want to stop, or if there is ever anything you don’t want to do.”

Armie nodded quickly and closed his eyes. Tim took that as a sign to proceed and he pushed back up onto his knees, returning his full attention to Armie’s throbbing cock that was currently hidden behind way too many layers of clothing. Armie was fully hard, and the outline of his huge erection in his jeans was almost obscene. Tim’s mouth filled with saliva at the sight. He popped opened the top button of Armie’s jeans with a flick of his fingers, quickly lowered the zipper, then pulled down his jeans and boxers past his hips in once swift motion. He was unable to wait even a second longer than he had to, to finally have a taste of Armie’s cock.

And then there it was: a rod of veiny flesh, thicker than even Tim had imagined. He knew it: Armie was a perfect 10. He let out a whimper at the sight of it, gripping it firmly, wanting to get to know this beautiful thing with every part of his body. He heard Armie inhale sharply when Tim touched it, then he exhaled a grateful moan as Tim slowly licked the head of his cock, already dripping with precome.

“Oh fuck, Tim. Oh my god, oh my fucking god….”

Tim smiled to himself. He was going to make this a blow-job to remember. He laved his flattened tongue around Armie’s rim, then down the shaft, all the way to his balls. Tim would bet his next paycheck that Liz ignored Armie’s testes when she gave head ( _if_ she still gave head), so Tim decided to pay them close attention. He pushed Armie’s thighs apart a bit more to give him room to work, then took one of his mounds of flesh into his mouth, and then the other. He mouthed and sucked Armie’s balls, then ran his tongue down his perineum, stopping just short of his asshole. He heard Armie’s breathing grow more and more labored, and he knew he was doing well.

He licked his way back up the length of Armie’s dick, then gripped the thick base of his cock with one hand, the other curling around the soft curve of Armie’s ass. He stretched his mouth wide to take as much of Armie’s thick shaft as he could, trying in vain not to gag as he swallowed him down to the root. Armie pushed his hands into Tim’s curls, a steady stream of expletives falling from his mouth as Tim’s fist and lips pumped quickly in tandem.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Tim. Where did you learn to do that?” Armie gasped from above. Tim picked up the pace. Spit dripped out of the sides of his mouth, but didn’t give a shit. Armie tasted and felt so good in his mouth, and the sounds he was making were making Tim’s own dick throb with need. Tim felt Armie’s cock twitch and swell…. he was close. Armie’s grip on Tim’s hair tightened as his head bobbed faster and faster, but Tim relished the pain.

“Oh fuck, Tim, I’m going to….” And with that, a hot stream of cum shot down Tim’s throat, a lifetime of pent-up need finally released. Tim swallowed it down, pleased that he was the one to give Armie this gift. When it was clear Armie was depleted, he wipe his mouth, pulled Armie’s pants back up to his hips, and kissed him hard, opening his mouth so Armie could taste himself in Tim’s mouth. Tim’s erection was throbbing still, and couldn’t help but rut helplessly against Armie’s thigh in an attempt to find friction.

Armie kissed Tim back for a few short seconds, but then pulled away, still out of breath, his eyes on the floor. Tim’s heart sank. _Please don’t let Armie regret this_ , he begged whatever higher being might be listening. He opened his mouth to ask Armie if he was alright, when Armie moaned softly.

“Fuck Tim. What have we done?”

Tim’s heart stopped, hating those words. He looked up at Armie, scared at what he might see. He was barely able to choke out the words, “Do you regret it?”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Tim could see the conflict in Armie’s eyes, but the longer Armie held Tim’s gaze, the softer his expression became. Finally, he reached out and pulled Tim to him, holding him tight. He buried his face into Tim’s curls and murmured, “No, I don’t, Tim. I should, but I don’t.”

Tim sighed in relief. Because regret was exactly the opposite of what he was feeling. All he was feeling was that he wanted MORE.


	7. seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie returns the favor to Tim, but then has to confront his feelings about what they have done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I banged this chapter out fairly quickly, so it's bit short, but I wasn't quite ready to delve into what comes next. I hope this work is doing some small part in distracting everyone from the shit-show that is our world right now. I know that I am thankful to have fanfic to read and to write, right now. I appreciate you all xoxoxo
> 
> Thank you to my awesome beta-reader, @hendricksplease, who I haven't used as much on this work, but she was very helpful with this chapter :*

seven

**Armie**

Armie buried his face in the crook of Tim’s neck, his body spent from his recent orgasm, and his mind, for the moment, peacefully still. He felt as if he were a puzzle that had been put together incorrectly for years, and in the short span of a few blissful moments, Tim had shaken him up and finally pieced him together correctly.

He caught his breath and little-by-little returned to reality. Nothing felt better or more right than Tim in his arms right now. The rigid steel of Tim’s cock was pulsing against him, and he longed to see it, to touch it… maybe even wrap his lips around it.

Out of nowhere, a wave of guilt washed over him. Before he could stop himself, he muttered, “What have we done?”

But he immediately decided to will away that that concern for the moment. There would come a time to deal with these feelings, a time when Tim was not enveloped in his embrace. And definitely not when he had just discovered an essential part of himself that he hadn’t even known was hidden away.

He looked down at Tim and was startled to see anxiety in his eyes. He chastised himself for being the cause of it. “Do you regret it?” Tim asked timidly.

Armie couldn’t tear his eyes away from Tim’s beautiful face. His heart lurched as he stared into his sea-green eyes, and all he wanted to do was reassure Tim that he had never regretted anything less in his life. He buried his face into Tim’s soft curls and murmured, “No, I don’t, Tim. I should, but I don’t.”

Tim whined softly, rolling his hips helplessly against Armie’s thigh. He pushed up on his toes, crashing his lips into Armie’s, delivering a kiss that was tinged with desperation. He pulled away to gasp, “Will you touch me, Armie? _Please._ ”

Armie’s heart began beating a mile a minute. He wanted nothing more than to feel Tim in his grasp, but he was suddenly frozen with fear. Could he do this? Was he ready to take this step? He slipped a hand out of Tim’s hair, and lowered it to his jeans, tentatively palming the bulge in Tim’s pants. Tim let out a pornographic moan at that slight touch, causing Armie’s own cock to twitch.

_Oh._ Okay. He _was_ ready, and he suddenly and urgently wanted _more._ He squeezed Tim’s stiff erection, rubbing up and down the scratchy denim, Tim rutting wantonly against his grip.

“Fuck, Armie. I’m so close. Can you... I mean, will you take it out?” Tim’s face flushed with embarrassment at his request, but his soft words were desperate with lust. Armie had never complied with a request so fast in his life. He fumbled with the fly of Tim’s jeans, feeling like a 15-year old virgin, but eventually got all five buttons open. He reached in and felt the velvety smooth flesh of Tim’s cock, and almost wilted with desire.

_How had he not known_? How had he lived 31 years and not somehow realized that _this_ was what he needed? Tim’s cock was leaking copiously, and Armie had the urge to drop to his knees and taste the liquid that was coating his palm. But he decided to stay the course, and he began pumping Tim’s gorgeous shaft with one hand, his other gripping Tim’s slim neck. He leaned down and sucked on that smooth flesh, relishing the sound of Tim’s moaning in what could only be described as ecstasy. His fist moved in tandem with Tim’s increasingly frenzied thrusts.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Armie, fuck, that feels so fucking good, I’m gonna come…..”

Seconds later, Tim spilled his seed, covering Armie’s fist with the slippery fluid. He collapsed onto Armie, a boneless baby doll of a man. Armie chuckled, holding him up, pressing gentle kisses to his hair as Tim caught his breath. They were still leaning against the kitchen counter, and the wonderful absurdity of it suddenly hit Armie. He let out a small but happy snort.

Tim pulled away and gave him a confused look. “What’s so funny?”

Armie kissed the top of his head one last time, not wanting him to be concerned for even a second. “Nothing. It’s just that I had what was probably the best sexual experience of my life, and the entire thing took place standing in my kitchen…” he glanced at the clock on the wall, “and took less than 20 minutes!”

Tim had to grin at that. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. I can’t wait to see what we can do when we have a bed and more time.”

Tim surged up to kiss Armie again, and it felt different to Armie this time… warm and familiar.

“Oh god, Armie. Me, too. Let’s clean up. I’m a fucking mess,” Tim murmured into Armie’s lips.

They washed up quickly, straightened their clothing, and realized that neither of them had eaten. Armie threw a few frozen pizzas into his oven and opened two beers for them.

“Let’s go sit for a bit. I feel like we need to talk.”

Tim nodded and followed Armie out to the couch. Armie sat first and put out his arms for Tim crawl into. He nuzzled into Armie’s chest, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to Armie, to have Tim in his arms, to smell his citrus shampoo as his curls tickled Armie’s nose, and to press soft kisses to the shell of Tim’s ear. It suddenly hit him that Tim would have to leave soon, to return to his own apartment and his own life, and that Armie would have to pretend that none of this had happened. How was he going to do that? How were they going to find a way forward?

“I can _feel_ your mind working, Armie. What are you thinking?” Tim shot up and turned to face Armie. “Please tell me. I need to know if you are feeling what I am feeling.”

His eyes searched Armie’s. He looked like a small child, too scared to enter a dark room, not knowing what he might find.

“I’m thinking…” Armie started, then stopped. How honest was he prepared to be? He tried again. “I feel like I’ve found a piece of myself that I didn’t even know was missing. But I’m also thinking that I don’t know what this means for me. Not yet, at least.”

Tim clasped his long fingers around Armie’s thick wrist, gripping it tightly. “Armie, promise me that you won’t give up on something that hasn’t even really started. You’ve barely experienced anything you’ve been missing all these years. Please… don’t make a decision until I’ve had a chance to show you. _Everything_.”

Armie glanced down to where Tim was clutching him, his grip strong. He was so aroused by Tim’s unexpected show of power that he had to resist an overwhelming impulse to flip him on his back and tear off his clothes. He gazed back at Tim, his eyes darkening, his cock filling and beginning to throb once again…

The oven alarm suddenly echoed loudly from the kitchen; the pizzas were ready. Armie took a deep breath to steady his nerves and calm his growing erection. Tim loosened his grip on Armie’s wrist, but didn’t let go. He continued to stare at Armie, his eyes silently beseeching Armie to give them more time.

Armie pulled his arm out from Tim’s grip and stood up. “I won’t give up on us, Tim. I don’t think I could if I wanted. Now come on, let’s eat. I think we both could use some sustenance.”

*****

**Tim**

An hour later, the men had finished off the pizza and consumed a few more beers, and were back on the couch. Tim was snuggled against Armie’s chest, his legs perched atop Armie’s, both stretched out onto the coffee table. Their fingers were threaded together and they talked softly about their past lives.

“I’m not sure how I ignored the signs for so many years. Each time one would appear, I would excuse it in some way and move on. But I knew something was off, that something was wrong,” Armie was saying.

“So, why did you keep ignoring your feelings? If you knew you weren’t happy?” Tim asked softly, trying not to judge.

Armie sighed and spoke haltingly, as if he were figuring out his entire life as he was speaking. “I guess… I guess the fact that the ‘face’ that I present to the world is so readily and happily accepted by everyone in my life makes it, I don’t know, easier for me pretend to accept, as well. My parents love Liz, and would never, ever tolerate me being with a man. My mom especially is really religious and has very conservative views. You know, old-fashioned.” 

They were quiet for a moment, but then Tim sat up and turned to look directly at Armie. He gripped Armie’s forearm firmly.

“I get that, Armie. But this is _your_ life. This is the only fucking life you get. Don’t live it for someone else’s expectations. You will regret it, I promise you.”

Armie pursed his lips then threw his head back onto the couch. “But you really DON'T get it, Tim. You come from this amazing, liberal family who love you and believe in you no matter what. You don’t know what it’s like to come from a family who would turn their back on you the second you were honest about your sexuality.”

He took a long swig of beer and continued, his voice rising with frustration. “And to be honest, Tim, _I_ don’t even know what that is, or who I really am. Am I gay? Am I bi? This is all so new to me, and I really don’t need all this _fucking pressure_ from you.”

Tim flinched at the tone of Armie’s voice, as if Armie had slapped him. He felt attacked, and he had no idea what he had done to anger Armie so much. He got up from the couch, as if to leave.

“Fine, Armie. You’ll get no more _pressure_ from me. I was just trying to fucking _help._ ”

Armie stood up and grabbed Tim by the arm. “Wait, Tim. Please, I’m sorry. I’m just overwhelmed by all of this. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Please, don’t leave yet….”

Tim didn’t _want_ to leave; he wanted nothing more than to drag Armie into the bedroom and show him more of what he had been missing. He was confused by Armie’s words, but he also understood that he had no idea what Armie was going through. They remained motionless, Armie’s hand grasping Tim’s elbow, at an impasse.

A jangle sounded from the front door, then suddenly swung open. Both men turned in the direction of the sound, startled out of their stalemate. Armie’s hand dropped to his side and he took a step back as Liz appeared in the doorway.

“Armie, you’re still up? Oh, Tim, hello! I didn’t know you would be here…”

Tim was frozen in place as Liz glided over as if walking a runway and air-kissed Tim on both cheeks. “So good to see you. I just left your lovely girlfriend. Oh, I adore her! Such a catch,” she added with a wink.

Tim couldn’t look her in the eyes, the sight of her reminding him that he had been sampling something that didn’t belong to him all night. He turned away.

“I… I was just going.” He glanced at Armie. “I’ll see you later.”

Armie barely gave a nod, appearing to be in shock. Tim left quickly, and as the door began to shut, he heard Liz admonish Armie, “Well that was rude. Why didn’t you say goodbye? Or walk him out? I swear, Armie…”

Tim closed the door before he could hear more. He would have his own drama to deal with him at home. The time had come for him to break it off with Lily, he had decided.


	8. eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Lily have a confrontation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting this without too much editing. Hope it's ok! And hope all of you are doing alright during this stressful time xoxox
> 
> This chapter is all angst but there is more smut to come, I promise!

eight

**Tim**

Tim descended the three flights of stairs to his own apartment, trying to work out the best time, and the best way, to actually break up with Lily. The sooner the better, he decided. He was done pretending with her, and he really needed to start the next chapter of his life.

He quietly unlocked and pushed open his front door, praying that Lily would be in bed already, but he had no such luck. The first thing he noticed when the door swung open was Lily reclined on the couch, clutching a glass of white wine. Her head turned at the sound of Tim entering their home.

“Nice of you to finally come home.” Her words were sarcastic and slurred.

“Lily, you’ve been gone all night with Liz. I’m allowed to have a life, too, you know,” Tim answered irritatably.

Lily popped up from the couch, unsteady on her feet. “ _I’ve_ been working!” she shot back, her voice rising with righteousness. She waved her wine glass haphazardly in Tim’s general direction. “ _You’ve_ just been hanging with your friends. Like always.”

_Okay_ , Tim thought, _I guess we’re doing this now._ He steeled himself for a battle; Lily appeared to be spoiling for a fight in her drunken state.

Tim spoke calmly. “Lily, you’re buzzed. Obviously you’ve been doing more than working. Which is FINE, but don’t call me out for hanging with a friend when you’ve been drinking all night with Liz.”

Tim’s calm demeanor somehow seemed to anger Lily even more than if he had yelled back. “Well, what am I supposed to do?? You are NEVER HERE! And even when you are, you bloody ignore me!”

_All fair points,_ Tim conceded to himself. _And this is why we need to break-up. But not now, not like this._

He tried to placate her, just to get past this argument and into bed. “You’re right, Lily. I will try and spend more time with you. I promise. Now, can we just go to sleep? I’m exhausted.”

Lily glared at Tim with derision. She was in no mood to be pacified. “Oh, _poor baby_. You’re exhausted? From hanging out with your boyfriends Will and Guilian all night?”

Tim rolled his eyes. Getting out of this wasn’t going to be as easy as he had hoped. “Actually, I was hanging out at Armie’s house. We had pizza and talked.”

Lily’s eyes narrowed at this piece of information. “Oh _really_? Liz will be happy to hear that. She thinks Armie is cheating on her. Says that they haven’t fucked in months.”

Tim’s heart stopped at Lily’s words. Months? He swallowed hard. “That’s really none of our business, Lily. Now come on, let’s go to bed.”

Tim thought he had finally convinced her to give up the fight when Lily finally set her glass down and started to move towards the bedroom. Tim sighed in relief; this night had already been an emotional roller-coaster. He didn’t have it in him to deal with anymore drama. But his relief was short-lived--Lily suddenly spun to face him, tears streaming down her face.

“You don’t love me, do you Tim? You never did.”

Tim was speechless. You couldn’t lie to her and tell her that he did. He just couldn’t. He struggled to come up with the right words, with _any_ words, but his mind was blank.

_“DID YOU?”_ she suddenly yelled, her patience gone.

Tim realized that all of her fear, anger and frustration from the last two months were coming out now, the alcohol lowering her inhibitions and loosening her tongue. She was finally voicing all the doubts that had obviously been haunting her since she’d left her life in Europe to move in with Tim.

Tim just shook his head, regretting how this was playing out. “I’m so sorry, Lily. I never meant to…”

Lily put up her hand to stop his words. “Oh, just _shut up, Tim_! I can’t stand the sound of your voice anymore!”

At with that, a sob escaped from her throat and she retreated swiftly to the bedroom to cry. Tim considered following her, to try and comfort her, but ultimately decided that, as the cause of her pain, he should probably stay away. He pulled a blanket from the linen closet and prepared to sleep on the couch.

*****

Tim tossed and turned on the too-narrow couch all night. He was uncomfortable, and he couldn’t stop thinking about Lily and their fight. Did this mean that they were broken up? And if so, what would happen next? Where would Lily go? Would he be consigned to the couch until she found another place to stay? If that were the case, Tim could see some serious sleep deprivation in his future.

He finally fell into a fitful slumber sometime after 3am. He fortunately didn’t have an audition until the afternoon, so his plan was to sleep in. That plan was demolished, however, when he was jarred out of a dream sometimes in the late morning by the agitated sound of Lily’s voice.

“Tim. _Tim_. TIM. Wake _UP_!” 

Tim rolled over to face her, his neck and back stiff from the lumpy couch. He reluctantly opened an eye and was shocked to see her standing over him, fully dressed with two suitcases by her side. He sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes, attempting to force himself into alertness.

“Lily. What… why… where are you going?” he finally muttered.

She snorted with derision. “Well, I can’t stay here, can I? Not after you dumped me last night!”

_I didn’t dump her,_ he thought, a bit perplexed. _Did I?_

He tried to piece together bits of their argument last night. Yes, he had sort of confessed that he didn’t love her. But he hadn’t _broken up_ with her. Or maybe he had?

He opened his mouth to speak, but Lily had already turned on her heels, dragging her suitcases behind her.

“I’ll come for the rest of my things later. Goodbye, Tim.”

And then she was gone, leaving a thoroughly confused, still half-asleep Tim in her wake. He shook his head, and glanced at the clock. It was only 9am; he actually had time to get more sleep before his audition. He stretched and headed to his bedroom, shedding his clothes from the night before along the way. He crawled into his cool bed and thought, as he drifted off to sleep, how nice it was not to have to share it with Lily.

*****

Tim woke up two hours later, feeling refreshed and strangely calm. The late morning light streamed into the room through a crack in the blinds, illuminating a bed that was half empty. All at once, the events from the night before and earlier that morning came rushing back to him.

He and Lily and broken up. And she had gone… somewhere? He felt a tinge of guilt that he had not been more persistent in finding out where she was going. Lily had made only a few good friends in her two months in New York, and even fewer of these friends were close enough to take her in to live.

Tim reached over to grab his phone from his nightstand. He needed to make contact with her, to find out where she was and ask if she would be willing to meet and talk. They left things between them far too unresolved.

As soon as he glanced at his phone, his stomach dropped. He had a text from Armie. He tapped on it, read it quickly, then groaned.

_Armie: Guess who arrived at our apartment with two suitcases in hand this morning?_

Of fucking course.

**Armie**

Armie watched forlornly as Tim slipped out his front door. He barely registered Liz’s annoyed words.

““Well that was rude. Why didn’t you say goodbye? Or walk him out? I swear, Armie. Sometimes I don’t understand you at all. Armie? Are you even listening to me? Wait, don’t walk away!”

Armie was already halfway to their room. He just needed to be alone. He closed and locked the bathroom door, even though he knew that Liz absolutely hated to be locked out. Armie just didn’t care at that moment. He leaned against the bathroom counter, gripping the granite, and hung his head. He took a few deep yoga breathes, needing to calm and focus for a few minutes. In through his nose…. (Tim)…. out through his mouth… (Tim)… and repeat.

He repeated the exercise for several minutes until he was collected. He brushed his teeth, then opened the door, ready to face Liz’s wrath. He half-expecting her to be standing there waiting for him, but to his surprise she wasn’t in the room. He quickly slipped into his bed, pulling the covers over his head to feign sleep, when in actuality, he just wanted to think more about Tim.

*****

The next morning was Thursday, and Armie’s alarm went off at its usual time. He reached to turn it off and noted that, at some point in the night, Liz had come to bed. She was snoring lightly, usually an indication that she had had too much to drink the night before.

_That would explain her attitude,_ Armie guessed. Liz was a confrontational drunk. He was glad he hadn’t engaged with her.

He shuffled to the kitchen to make some coffee and thought about texting Tim. He wanted to ensure that things were alright between him and Tim after Armie’s frustrated outburst. He was trying to deny it to himself, but he was already aching to see Tim again.

He was rinsing out his coffee mug when a tentative knock sounded through the door. Armie froze in surprise… who would be at their door at 9am? He crept to the door and peaked through the peephole. To his shock, Lily was standing there, two suitcases by her side. She fidgeted nervously as she waited for someone to answer, looking as if she were considering walking away. Armie swung the door open before she had the chance.

“Lily! Uh, Liz is still sleeping. Is there anything I can…?” Armie’s words were cut short when Lily burst into heaving sobs. Armie immediately put two and two together, and realized what must have just happened at Tim’s apartment. Tim had done it--he had really broken up with Lily and now she was…. _fuck_ …. she was here.

Armie glanced up and down his hallway, hoping that none of his neighbors were witnessing the drama unfolding at his door, and quickly invited Lily in.

“Please, come in, Lily. Um… let me get Liz up. Can I get you some tea or something?” Armie handed Lily a tissue as she wheeled her suitcases into the dining room and sat down heavily on one of the chairs. She glanced up at Armie miserably.

“Wait, Armie,” she said in small voice. “You… you were with Tim last night, right?”

Armie’s stomach dropped to his toes. He nodded and shrugged noncommittally. “For just a few hours. We had dinner and uh… watched the game.” _Please don’t ask what game._

Lily blew her nose and Armie took that moment to start towards the bedroom, but then Lily spoke again.

“Did he mention me, or us? Did he say that he is, I don’t know, unhappy or anything?”

Armie turned to face Lily. “No, we didn’t talk about the two of you at all.” At least _that_ was the truth. “I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t admit to Lily _what_ he was apologizing for, but he felt like it had to be said. She nodded and looked away, lost in her own thoughts.

Armie finally made it to the bedroom, where Liz was snoring soundly. It took several tries to shake her awake, but Liz finally startled awake.

“What the fuck, Armie? The house better be on fire,” she snapped.

He rolled his eyes. “No, the house isn’t on fire, but you _do_ have a visitor. Lily is here, with two large suitcases.”

Liz bolted up in bed. “What? Two large…. oh no. I was afraid that this might happen.”

Armie crossed his arms and stared. “Afraid that _what_ might happen?”

Liz threw herself back down onto her pillow. “Your little friend Tim has not been treating Lily the way she deserves to be treated. She was worried that he was thinking of breaking up with her. I guess he did last night. _UGH_! Fuck him, that little fucker.”

Liz pulled herself out of bed, grabbing her bathrobe from the closet. Armie took that opportunity to retreat to the bedroom to shower and get ready for work. He really didn’t have the time or energy to deal with any of this. He grabbed his phone to contact Tim, needing to find out what _really_ had happened between them. Did Tim break up with her, thinking that he and Armie had a chance? Armie’s heart skipped a beat at that thought, tugged between hoping that was the case, and being absolutely terrified that that was what Tim thought.

He tapped out a quick message to Tim. _Armie: Guess who arrived at our apartment with two suitcases in hand this morning? I’m leaving for work soon. Call me later so you can catch me up._


	9. nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That feeling of just... giving in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that I have ended Coma Life (if you haven't read it, check it out!), I can focus on this fic, and maybe even get back to I Hate the Fucking Sand. Maybe?
> 
> As always, I extend my sincere appreciation to my readers. I love each and every Kudos and comment!
> 
> A word of warning, this is a hastily edited chapter. Forgive any errors! 
> 
> xoxoxo

nine

**Armie**

Armie left for work just as Liz was coming out of the bedroom to console Lily. As he left, he threw her a pointed “Let’s-talk-later” look. He wouldn’t throw Lily out on the street, but how long was he supposed to provide room and board to someone he barely knew? He hitched his laptop bag up on his shoulder as he hit the elevator button.

It occurred to him that if Lily was holing up at their place, that meant that Tim was now living… _alone._ Armie entered the elevator and hovered his finger over the number 3, itching to hit the button and go directly to Tim’s place. But he shook off the enticing thought and instead pressed the G for garage, silently berating himself for being so weak.

Armie’s morning dragged on more than usual as he waited for a reply from Tim. It was after 11am and he was starting to get concerned when his phone finally dinged with a message. Armie grabbed it and read.

_Tim: You have got to be fucking kidding me. I am so sorry that you have been dragged into this Armie._

_Armie: Don’t apologize. You didn’t send her to us, right? (That was a joke.) But I am very curious what happened. Can I see you tonight?_

_Tim: As it turns out, I am free as a bird. What time can you come over? I should probably talk to Lily, too._

_Tim: Eventually. But definitely not tonight._

_Armie: I need to check in at home after work. I’ll text you then. Are you home all night?_

_Tim: Yup. I am all yours._

Armie’s heart stopped at Tim’s last text. Is that what Tim thought? Now that he had broken up with Lily, that he was going to be with Armie? Armie shifted uncomfortably in his office chair. This was all happening too fast. A week ago he was a happily married straight man (okay, both those terms were a stretch, but he wasn’t totally _unhappy_ , and he certainly had _considered_ himself straight), and now here he was, cheating on his wife with his male neighbor. How had things gotten so out of control, so quickly? Armie felt as if he didn’t even know himself anymore.

He decided that he would meet Tim that night, and tell him that they needed to slow things down between them.

**Tim**

Tim sent the last text to Armie and jumped in the shower to get ready for his afternoon audition. Some residual guilt about his break-up with Lily was lingering at the back of his mind, but, if he were honest with himself, he was thoroughly enjoying having the apartment to himself. Now that she was gone and their relationship was over, he recognized what a mistake he had made bringing Lily here. He had never loved her. Yes, he had been fond of her, and yes, he had enjoyed fucking her. But he had no emotions that approached anything even remotely like _love_.

The fact remained: he had never come close in the five months he and Lily had been together to having near the feelings for her that he had developed for Armie in the week that they had been… _whatever_ it was they were doing. When he wasn’t with Armie, he was all he could think about. He had never before experienced that silly emotion people called _longing,_ but fuck if he didn’t find himself _longing_ for Armie when he wasn’t around.

A giddiness swept over Tim at the thought of Armie coming over that night.

_This is going to be the night,_ he decided. He would guide Armie through his first time, like an intrepid sexual Boy Scout. He opened the drawer in his bathroom where he kept those types of things, and pulled out a few condoms and his lube. He was prepared.

Tim went through his day with half his mind on all possibilities for that night. It never occurred to him that Armie could have any different idea about what was going to happen between them.

**Armie**

Armie took out his keys to unlock his front door, but paused at the cacophony he heard coming through the wall. Ariana Grande singing at full volume, and shrieks of laughter… it sounded like a party. He opened the door with dread. What the fuck was he walking into?

Liz and Lily were sprawled across the couch, their legs tangled, both of them holding glasses of wine. They barely noticed Armie as he entered the apartment and threw his keys onto the dining room table. He turned down the speaker then walked into the living room area to assess the situation.

“Hello?” he ventured, when neither women stopped their conversation, even when he was standing in front of them.

Liz finally acknowledged his existence. “Armie! You’re home!” she slurred. Drunk.

Lily screeched and kicked at Liz. “Don’t talk to him! He’s a man, and we hate men right now!” Also drunk.

Armie sighed. Liz had obviously been consoling Lily with empathy and lots of Chardonnay all day. He put up his hands in surrender.

“Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt your girl time. I will get out of your way.” 

Armie grabbed a beer and retreated to the bedroom. He had been having second thoughts about going to see Tim that night, but there was no way he could stay in this apartment while these two were awake, plotting the demise of all men. He quickly changed into shorts and a tee-shirt and threw himself onto his bed to think.

He had planned on telling Tim that they shouldn’t see each other for a while, but his resolve had weakened as the day crept by. As always, he couldn’t keep his thoughts off of Tim’s eyes, lips, jaw, hands…. Excuses and justifications began to sneak into his mind: he would go see Tim just one more time, then tell him they had to take a break. He couldn’t be expected to stay here while the girls were so drunk. They would _want_ him to leave and go to Tim’s. Nothing would happen; he would make sure of that. He would pop in just a beer or two. They would talk; just talk.

When he finally convinced himself that going to Tim’s was not only acceptable but actually the best and most appropriate thing to do considering the circumstances, he slipped on his flip-flops, grabbed his keys, and headed for the door

“I’m going out,” he called over his shoulder, not stopping to see if Liz protested at all. He was pretty sure she didn’t even notice him leave. He sent Tim a quick text: _on my way down_. Within seconds, a thumbs-up emoji followed by several heart emojis flashed on his screen. His stomach did a flip.

_Get a grip, Hammer,_ he admonished himself. _They are just_ _fucking emojis._

Armie took the stairs two at a time, and swung open the staircase door to the sight of Tim standing in his hallway, holding his apartment door open. Tim broke into a wide, toothy smile as soon as he saw Armie, and Armie felt his own face light up, despite his previous promise to himself to keep things casual. He had to stop himself from breaking into a run and sweeping Tim off of his feet into a nothing-platonic-about-it embrace. He breathed deeply and consciously slowed his steps.

_I can do this. Just friends, just friends, we can be…._

He had reached Tim’s door and found himself suddenly tugged through the entrance. Tim slammed the door shut behind him, then pushed Armie against the wall.

“Hi,” he breathed, his face inches from Armie’s. God, he looked fucking gorgeous, his lips parted and glistening expectantly.

“Tim… ” But before Armie had a chance to finish, Tim was pressing his mouth against Armie’s, in a kiss so hot and desperate, Armie forgot how to think. His brain seemed to short-circuit, only processing the heat of Tim’s tongue, and of his arms yanking Armie’s body flush against his own. Every doubt and hesitation he had had in earlier hours dissipated; they had no chance against Tim’s sweet scent and ragged breath. They kissed like that for minutes, or maybe hours, groping each other with increasing urgency.

Armie had become achingly hard, and he was starting to have thoughts involving Tim that he had never before had about another man. He wanted to see Tim with nothing on, and he wanted to touch every inch of his body with his hands, with his mouth, with his tongue. He even wanted to know what it would feel like to have Tim… inside him, like a woman. Like the adult video he had watched that one drunken night.

His cock was throbbing from all the images in his brain, and he pulled away to catch his breath. He felt out of control, and he needed to gather himself before he did something he couldn’t undo. Something he might regret.

Tim chased his tongue, not wanting their mouths to part. “What… what’s wrong, Armie?” he panted.

“Can we stop for a second, Tim? To talk, to just… stop.” His eyes pleaded with Tim to understand, to give him the space he needed. But Tim was in no mood to slow, to think, to be _understanding_.

Tim slid his hand down to Armie’s crotch and palmed the bulge that was swelling there, fighting to be free of the constriction of Armie’s shorts. Armie moaned as Tim rubbed his erection, knowing full well what he was doing to Armie.

“I don’t want to stop, Armie. And this tells me that you want to stop, either,” Tim gasped.

_So unfair. This is SO UNFAIR,_ Armie thought wretchedly. His heart and body were arguing aggressively with his mind, the only part of him that has any semblance of rationality. But it was sorely outnumbered and outclassed. Armie gave in.

“Fuck it, I don’t want to stop either, Tim,” Armie growled, sliding his hands under Tim’s buttocks and easily lifting him off of the floor. Tim wrapped his legs tight around Armie’s waist, his arms clinging to Armie’s neck. Armie pulled away long enough to pant, “To the bedroom?”

“To the bedroom.”

*****

Armie understood why he was so nervous--he had never done anything like this before. Before he met Tim, he never considered sex with a man to be something that he wanted. But as he gazed down at Tim sprawled across his bed with a scalding “come hither” expression, he did not think there was a thing in this world that he did not want to experience with him.

Tim was the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. His bottomless green eyes; his pretty rose-colored lips; his lanky but strong body. Even his long, tapered fingers made Armie long to take them in his mouth and just suck. And now Tim was spread out before him like some sort of carnal feast. Armie wasn’t sure how to even start and he was relieved that Tim seemed ready and eager to take control.

“I… I don’t know what to do.” His voice was raspy--all his previous bravado was stripped away, revealing only inexperience and vulnerability.

“You’re doing well,” Tim answered with a kind chuckle. “Please… come here.” Tim scooted over, making room for Armie on the bed. 

Armie crawled next to Tim, and was suddenly overcome with the reality of what was happening. He felt himself shaking, but his erection never waned. Tim gently caressed Armie’s hip and leaned over to press a soft kiss on his neck. Armie hummed with want.

“Are you sure you're ready?” Tim whispered, a new, concerned look on his face. Armie ignored his nerves and nodded quickly, his heart racing. There was no turning back… he didn’t _want_ to stop. He lifted his chin, finding Tim’s lips with his own. They kissed for several long minutes, their mouths devouring each other with growing hunger. Armie’s internal organs felt on fire, and he was desperate for some sort of outlet for his neediness and lust. He pulled Tim’s body against his, a hand on Tim’s neck, the other on his ass. The friction just made Armie want even _more._

Tim pulled away, his lips red and swollen from Armie’s stubble, and gasped, “I’m okay with slowing things down, Armie. Let me taste you. I just want to make you feel good.”

Those words alone made Armie’s erection leak with want. To have Timmy’s lips wrapped around him, sucking him, licking him? He wouldn’t last. But he was willing to try.

He gave a barely perceptible nod, and watched as Tim slipped down the bed, dragging his hands along Armie’s torso as he went. Armie opened his legs, making room for Tim, and Tim slipped between them. A pang of conscience tapped briefly in Armie’s chest, but he willed it away as he watched Tim struggle with the button on Armie’s shorts. He wanted this too much to let a useless emotion like guilt stop him.

“What the…” Tim glanced up at Armie. “I think I’m too horny to properly use my fine motor skills. Help!”

“Do you think this is sign?” he muttered, more to himself than Tim. But he made quick work of the button, and within seconds, Tim was pulling down his shorts with a grin. Tim tossed aside his shorts and began pressing soft kisses up the inside of Armie’s thigh. His entire body shivered at the sensation.

“Oh fuck, Tim,” Armie heard himself moan as Tim licked down the long length of Armie’s cock, then wrapped his mouth around one of Armie’s testicles and sucked gently. Armie’s cock was so hard, he grabbed it and squeezed. Tim placed his own hand over Armie’s and started to guide it up and down as he continued to suck one ball and then the other. Tim suddenly pulled off and grabbed one of Armie’s pillows.

He tapped Armie’s hip. “Lift up,” he commanded. Armie had no idea what was happening, but he did as he was told. He trusted Tim completely. He hiked his hips up into the air, and Tim pushed the pillow underneath, giving him full view of Armie’s entire groin region.

“Sit back and relax. I think you will like this.” Armie did as he was told, ready for whatever was about to happen.

Tim settled back in between Armie’s thigh, lying on his stomach, his long legs hanging over the edge of Armie’s bed. Armie could only see the top of his curls, but he felt his hot mouth envelope his erection, soaking it with his spit. Tim sucked for a few minutes, but then pulled off, confusing Armie. Armie began to sit up to see what was happening, but then Tim’s tongue was sliding down the sensitive swath of skin between Armie’s groin and his ass, and then Tim was spreading his ass cheeks, and then… Armie gasped as he felt the velvety heat of Tim’s tongue flat against his furled entrance.

Armie’s entire body was on fire as Tim’s probing into Armie's tight heat became more insistent--circling, then prodding his hole. It felt ticklish at first, like nothing he had experienced before. But as Tim’s tongue explored deeper, the sensation became more intense, then almost uncomfortable, but then… oh fuck, it felt _good_. Tim returned one of his hands to Armie’s cock, and the combination of his tongue and fist working him at the same time…. Armie moaned with almost unbearable pleasure as Tim’s stroking picked up the pace. He raked his hands through Tim's hair, then pulled, causing Tim to whimper.

Tim’s tongue suddenly hit a sweet spot so deep inside Armie, it felt like a hidden volcano was erupting. He yelled out and, without any warning, he came harder than he had in his entire life, his release soaking the front of his tee shirt. He clenched the sheets, overcome with the shockwave that had overwhelmed him. Tim gave Armie a few more gentle tugs, coaxing out the last of his release.

Tim sat up from between Armie's legs. “Oh my god, Armie, that was so fucking hot,” Tim gasped raggedly. He quickly sat up, pushing down his own shorts, and quickly stroked himself to orgasm. He came fast, seemingly already very close, and Armie watched in fascination as he caught his own breath. Tim had no shame; he just did whatever felt good. He cried out as a ribbon of white liquid exploded from his slit, and Armie reached over to wrap his hand around Tim’s, as Tim had done earlier to him, wanting to experience this moment with Tim in every way. He loved this sense of freedom he felt with Tim, to do whatever felt good… it was everything.

“Kiss me Tim,” he begged. Tim pulled off his come-soaked shirt, and helped Armie out of his own, then crawled onto his chest and their mouths joined in a kiss fueled not by lust or want, but something deeper. Something real and grounding. Armie wrapped his arms around Tim, and just sat in the moment. He’d give anything to have this every day, this feeling of being whole and completely alive. Now that he had been given a glimpse of this feeling, how could he ever let it go?

Tim pulled away, nuzzling into his neck. “What are you thinking?” he murmured.

Armie sighed. “That I…. fuck, Tim, that I don’t think I can stop this. That I don’t _want_ to stop this.”

He felt Tim’s smile against his throat. “Then don’t…” he whispered. They lay quietly together for in silence, both lost in their own thoughts about the other and their future, and eventually, they fell asleep, entangled in each other’s arms.


	10. ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys' night continues...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could not leave these boys hanging, so here is the rest of their night! Not a super long chapter, but it gets the job done ;)
> 
> Thank you to all my readers! I appreciate you all!!!

ten

**Armie**

Armie opened one eye in the darkened room, and immediately processed everything he felt, rather than saw: the thin, bare legs wrapped around his own; the long, smooth back pressed against his chest; the soft dome of curls tickling his chin; and, best of all, the taut, concave belly that his hand was currently cupping. He and Tim had fallen asleep naked and spooned together, and had barely moved in the two hours that they had been unconscious. Tim’s breath swept in and out of his body in a soft, steady rhythm… he was still passed out cold. Armie lifted his head enough to see the glowing numbers from a digital clock across the room--it was not quite 9pm. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he had skipped dinner in his rush to see Tim.

Armie quickly pushed aside thoughts of food to enjoy this incredible experience that he had come close to missing, if he had been dumb enough to listen to his mind rather than his dick: Tim, naked and in his arms. Tim, who had given him what was _by far_ the most seismic orgasm of his life, and who was eager to do _so much more_.

Armie leaned down to smell the light fruit scent of Tim’s shampoo (was it peach? citrus?), and slowly allowed his free hand to tentatively wander the planes of Tim’s supple, lean body. Armie wanted to caress every firm muscle; to feel the swell of Tim’s ass and the curve of his hips. Most of all, he longed to slip his hand in-between Tim’s thighs and stroke his cock firmly and insistently, bringing it back to its wondrous, fully aroused state. But Armie was not yet brave enough for that bold of a move, and instead gently stroked Tim’s nipples until they stood at attention, then trailed his fingers down Tim’s belly, stopping just short of the soft nest of hair that started there.

Armie felt his cock filling with every heart beat as his finger journeyed back up Tim’s torso to base of his throat. Armie’s desire to nip and suck at Tim’s neck was growing with every passing second. He was becoming increasing aware that his cock was nestled against Tim’s ass, and he longed to thrust into it. It suddenly struck him how desperately he longed to press into Tim, to be literally _inside_ Tim, and, oh god…

Armie moaned at the very thought, and he instinctively rolled his pelvis into Tim’s buttocks. Tim’s body shifted as he began to wake. _Oh shit,_ Armie thought. He hadn’t meant to awaken Tim.

“Armie?” he whispered groggily, and then before Armie knew what was happening, Tim was grinding his ass hard against Armie’s swollen erection. “Fuck, you are so hard. Want you so bad, Armie…” he murmured.

Before Armie could protest, Tim had opened his legs wider so that Armie’s cock could slide between them, using his hand to create even more friction against his skin. Armie gasped as Tim closed his thighs, then rocked his hips back and forth with Armie’s hard cock wedged into the tight space Tim had created.

Armie’s brain scrambled at the sensation. It was too much, yet he wanted even _more._ He latched his mouth onto Tim’s neck, not caring if he left a mark, hoping that he would.

“Armie, I want you inside me. Fuck…. will you…. fuck me?” Tim stuttered, clearly as affected as Armie by their activity.

Armie tried to find the words for how he felt, what he wanted. Somewhere in the back of his brain, a small voice whispered, “You need to stop. This isn’t right…” but the quiet words were drowned out by the scream of _want_ that was coming from Armie’s entire body. His need for Tim was all that mattered.

He finally found his voice long enough to choke out, “I want that, Tim, but I’ve never…” His words were cut off when Tim turned and brushed his lips against Armie’s.

“It’s ok. I’ll take care of it.” And with that, Tim slipped out of Armie’s embrace and into the adjoining bathroom. Armie felt the loss of Tim’s warm body immediately, missing him like a lost limb. Without Tim as a distraction, Armie was finally able to think clearly.

_What am I doing? This is not a good idea. I should get dressed and leave. I should…_

Armie could hear Tim running the water in the bathroom, and he wondered what exactly Tim was doing in there. _I’ll take care of it,_ Tim had said _._ Armie wasn’t sure what all of that entailed, but he had some ideas. He suddenly forgot that he had planned to get dressed and instead began to imagine what Tim was doing to get ready for him. Get himself clean, preparing himself in some way. Armie wanted to see, he _needed_ to see, he didn’t want this happening without being a part of it…

He got up and slowly made his way to the bathroom. His eyes had adjusted somewhat to the dark room, but it was still dim and he was unfamiliar with the space. He made it to the door and tapped lightly. “Tim? Can I come in?”

The door opened a crack, and Armie had a full view of Tim’s gorgeous nude body. He was holding a bottle of something, perhaps lube, and was flushed. “Is everything ok?” Tim asked, the question tinged with concern.

Armie pushed into the bathroom and pulled Tim to him. He really _did_ want to do this with Tim, and he didn’t want to be apart from Tim for any of it. He nuzzled into Tim’s neck, abandoning any plans of leaving. He had been lying to himself thinking that he could.

“Show me what to do. I want to know everything,” he gasped.

Tim nodded quickly, dragging Armie back to the bed. The bathroom door was still ajar, and the light from inside illuminated the boys’ faces and bodies. Tim threw himself on the bed, letting his legs fall open. Armie climbed next to him and trailed a hand down his waist, watching in wonder as Tim slipped a hand between his legs and lifted his pelvis.

“I’m opening myself up for you,” Tim said quietly, and it was the sexiest thing anyone had ever said to Armie in his life. He swallowed hard as he watched Tim push a finger deep inside himself, his cock so hard that he had to squeeze it just to relieve some pressure. Tim let his eyes close as he slipped a second finger in. Armie whimpered at the sight before him: Tim’s legs spread wide, his hair splayed against the pillow, his mouth slightly open. The slightest moan escaped from Tim’s lips and Armie felt he might come just from the sounds Tim was making.

Tim extracted his hand and turned to gaze at Armie. “I’m ready. Are you?” he asked raggedly.

Armie was so ready.

*****

It was over quickly. Armie had been so close that the sensation of becoming encased in Tim’s tight heat had almost immediately overwhelmed him. He sank deep into Tim, coming after only a few hesitant thrusts, and it had been the best sensation he had ever experienced. He felt both full and depleted. It has almost been too much.

He had tried to apologize, but Tim shushed him. “We have lots of time to do it again, until it’s perfect. _You_ are perfect.”

Tim had disappeared into the bathroom to clean up, and Armie lay on his stomach, his head in a post-orgasmic fog. The same thoughts circled through his mind, again and again: _How had I ever thought I was straight?_ He hadn’t known that sex could be like this. All the clichés that had always seemed ridiculous suddenly made sense: earth-shattering, cosmic-shifting, mind-bending. He wanted it again, he wanted so much more. He felt the first swells of addiction percolating in his brain.

Tim came out of the bathroom and sat on the bed next to Armie. They immediately began touching the other; Armie did not think that he could ever be in the same room with Tim again without laying a hand on him in some way. Tim caressed Armie’s thigh, and Armie began stroking Tim’s bare stomach. He leaned down to kiss Tim. 

Tim giggled into his lips. “Careful, or I may want to go again.”

“And I might be okay with that. Just give me a few minutes… I’m not as young as you. Plus, we need to eat, I’m starving.”

They threw on the bare minimum of clothing and padded out to the kitchen. Tim foraged through his refrigerator and found some eggs, cheese and leftover ham, and cooked them some omelets. Armie could not keep his eyes off of Tim, watching his every move as he traveled around the small space. He had to stop himself from pulling Tim to him and kissing him over and over.

They took their plates to the couch and ate in comfortable silence, Tim’s legs thrown over Armie’s. They worked up an enormous hunger in the last few hours. As Tim swallowed his last bite, he looked at Armie with knit eyebrows.

“Hey,” he said, laying a hand on Armie’s knee. “Are you sure you’re alright with everything that happened tonight? Now that I’ve come down from my dick-high, I feel like maybe I pushed you too much…”

Armie shook his head quickly. “Tim, nothing happened tonight that I didn’t _want_ to happen. I am a big boy. I wanted this as badly as you did. I just was better at lying to myself about it.”

Tim gazed at Armie for another long moment, as if deciding whether or not to believe him, but then returned his attention to his omelet. He took at big bite, then said with a wicked grin, “Next time, I’m fucking you.”

Armie stopped chewing, his brain combusting at that thought. Yes, he would be open to that, too…

*****

After they had finished their eggs, the boys lay on the couch, talking and kissing. Armie didn’t know how he would ever pull himself away to return home, but he had work the next day and needed to get some sleep. He dreaded going back to the apartment and finding out what Liz and Lily had been up to. He just hoped that they were both passed out already.

At midnight, he gave Tim a final kiss goodbye. “Come back tomorrow night?” Tim begged. It would be Friday, and Armie wouldn’t have the cloud of work hanging over him. But, he still had a wife. Armie realized with the tiniest pang of guilt that he had not thought of Liz in several hours.

“I have no idea what Liz has planned for tomorrow. I’ll text you.”

Tim seemed annoyed at this. “Why do you have to wait for her, to see if she has made plans? You should make your own plans, Armie!”

Armie knew Tim was right. Liz had always organized their entire social lives; he just went along with it. He hadn’t cared enough before this point to consider doing things any differently. He went to his gym, and once in a while met guys from work out for Happy Hour, but he had few friends in New York. He let Liz pretty much dictate their lives. No wonder he had been so unhappy.

“You know what? You’re right, Tim. Sure, yes. I will see you tomorrow night.”

Tim sprang forward to give Armie a final, elated kiss, then Armie slipped out the door. He took the elevator the three floors home, exhausted from the night’s activities and the late hour. When he got to his door, he paused, keys in hand, and listened closely. No music was coming through the walls and the apartment seemed quiet. Armie slowly cracked open the door--the living room was dark. He breathed a sigh of relief.

The next morning, Armie let himself sleep in a bit later than usual. Liz was still passed out next to him when he finally forced himself out of bed and into the shower. He knew the day would drag with the promise of seeing Tim at the end of it, and he dreaded facing a full day of work.

He was in the kitchen, filling a thermos with coffee, when Lily appeared from the guest room, looking disheveled and worse-for-the wear. She seemed surprised to see Armie, most likely having been told that he would be gone to work by this time.

“Good morning,” Armie said politely but with no warmth in his voice. He considered offering Lily some coffee or Ibuprofin, something that he would do for any other obviously hungover guest, but then decided that he really didn’t want Lily to feel any more comfortable in his home than she already did.

“Morning,” she murmured, not meeting his eye. “Can I get some coffee?”

“Help yourself,” Armie answered, already walking out of the kitchen. He had no desire to make small talk with her. He reminded himself that he needed to discuss the details of her stay with Liz this afternoon. He was willing to let her stay through the weekend, but not a day more. He grabbed his keys, and left for work.


	11. eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim and Armie go on a real date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Easter!
> 
> Just a short chapter on this holiday. Some smut is coming, I promise!

eleven

**Tim**

Tim closed the door behind Armie, astounded at how well the night had gone. But now that he had had a taste of Armie, he craved more. His stomach gave a happy flip as he thought about all the things they could do _tomorrow night._

_My powers of persuasion are greatly than I had thought,_ Tim thought with a proud smirk. He crawled into his big, empty bed and slept soundly again that night, spreading himself across the entire mattress. He didn’t think of Lily once.

Tim woke to the sound of texts coming into his phone. He grabbed it quickly, hoping to see Armie’s name at the top of the screen, but his gut clenched when he saw that the messages were from Lily.

_Fuck._

_LRD: I need to get the rest of my stuff._

_LRD: Also, you owe me for my half of this month’s rent._

_LRD: Also, you are a talentless piece of shit._

Tim threw himself back on his bed. He couldn’t even be upset at the texts. He deserved every bit of venom that Lily could spew at him. He was a terrible person. But… he didn’t regret any of it. He felt shitty that Lily had gotten a raw deal, and he dreaded having to see her again, but to have her out of his apartment, and Armie in his life? It was worth it.

He pecked out a quick text back to her.

_TC: I am here all day. Just come down when you want. And yes, I will cut you a check. No problem._

Where he would get the money from, he had no idea. He would have to figure something out.

_LRD: I’ll be stop by at noon._

It was 11am, giving Tim just enough time to have some coffee and jump in the shower. And try to quell the growing dread bubbling in his intestines.

*****

Lily knocked at the door at exactly noon. Tim swung the door open, his head down. Lily stalked in carrying several empty boxes.

“So, can I have the place for an hour? I want to pack up my stuff. Alone,” she asked brusquely, setting the boxes down on the coffee table.

“Of course, but… don’t you think we should, I don’t know, talk?” Tim asked hesitantly. He did not actually _want_ to talk, but they had ended things so abruptly with absolutely no resolution.

Lily spun on him with a glare. “What is there to speak about? You let me follow you here. You let me think you loved me. But you never actually did. Right?”

Tim just looked at her balefully, the shame at what he had done finally rearing its ugly head. Lily had no time for his puppy-dog eyes. She raised her eyebrows in anger. “ _Right_??”

“Right,” he admitted, shifting his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. “I’m so sorry, Lily.”

“Me, too. I am sorry I ever met you, Tim. You are a pathetic, tiny man, and a terrible lay. So, now if you will kindly fuck off? I have to pack up my things.”

Tim nodded, grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone, and left to walk to his favorite diner. He didn’t have much appetite, so he ordered more coffee and a bagel. His thoughts immediately turned to Armie while he waited for his food.

Their current plan was for Armie to come over to his place again that night, which was great. But Tim realized that he wanted to actually _go out_ with Armie, like on a date. The truth was, what had started out as simple crush on the sexy neighbor was quickly morphing into something more. Armie was ridiculously hot, that was true, but he was also smart, engaging, funny, sweet, and he smelled so fucking good. Tim wondered if Armie would think he was overstepping their current boundaries if he suggested a date, but it was worth a try.

He took out his phone and tapped out a quick message to Armie.

_TC: What do you think about going out tonight? I was thinking dinner at Emilio’s. A table in the back?_

Tim’s coffee arrived and he drank slowly, nervous for Armie’s reply. Ten, then fifteen minutes crawled by. Tim’s bagel arrived and he picked at it, dipping a finger into the cream cheese, licking it off. Picking his phone up absentmindedly, turning it over in his hand then setting it back onto the table.

Finally… twenty-five minutes after sending his text, Tim’s phone dinged.

_AH: I’m not familiar with that place. Is secluded?_

_AH: Kind of like the idea of taking you on a date_

_AH: Somewhere dark and romantic_

Tim breathed a sigh of relief. Armie was open to the idea. Actually, he seemed to even _like_ the idea. Sometimes, Armie made it too easy for Tim to forget that he was married.

*****

Tim made sure to arrive at Emilio’s first, securing a table in the back room. He ordered a bottle of expensive Pinot Noir and ran his fingers nervously through his hair. He had dressed up for the occasion, a striped sweater and dark jeans, for what he considered to be his and Armie’s first real “date.” Not a casual dinner as friends; not a frantic hook-up masquerading as a neighborly visit. No, this was a bona-fide date, with wine and candles and the promise of a kiss and more at the end of the night.

Just as Tim was starting to get nervous that Armie had perhaps changed his mind about the night, he appeared in the doorway to the backroom. Tim’s breath hitched--Armie was stunning. He wore a perfectly cut navy suit which showed off every one of his assets. He caught sight of Tim and broke out into a happy grin, which Tim immediately reciprocated.

Tim stood up to greet him, suddenly nervous to be on a date with this god of a man. “Hey there,” he said shyly.

Armie walked up to Tim, grabbing his hand with no hesitation. The uncertain Armie of the night before was gone, replaced by his typical self-assured persona. He leaned down to give Tim a soft kiss.

“You look delectable,” he murmured into Tim’s curls, “I love you in this sweater.”

Tim flushed with pleasure. “I ordered us some wine. I hope that’s okay?”

Armie picked up the bottle and looked it over. “This is perfect, Tim. Thank you.”

They settled into the table, each taking a sip of their wine and regarding the other. Tim had so many things that he wanted to ask Armie, to discuss with him, but not yet. Not so early in their first date. He eased into the conversation with small talk about Armie’s job, a safe topic.

“How is your work going? Any interesting events coming up?” he asked.

Armie set down his wine and took Tim’s hand in his own, covering it completely. “Our yearly gala in Los Angeles is in two weeks. That has been keeping me pretty busy. We’ll have to fly back to LA for that.” Tim ignored the implication of the word ‘we.’ Armie continued. “I have a team that is organizing most of the details, but I will be the official host. You know, greet people, give a speech, apply subtle pressure on our benefactors to increase their giving. That sort of thing. It’s kind of terrible.”

Tim grimaced. It did sound pretty awful. Armie traced the lip of his wine glass with a finger, not meeting Tim’s eye. “Liz _loves_ it. I wish I could send her alone.” He sighed then looked up at Tim. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be a downer. It’s one night; I really shouldn’t complain. How was your day?”

Tim squeezed Armie’s hand, wanting to lighten the mood. “I didn’t do too much. I was pretty exhausted from my hot date last night. He kept me up pretty late.”

Armie grinned back. “Oh yeah? Sounds interesting. Tell me about it.”

Tim pursed his lips, trying to look coy. “Oh, I don’t kiss and tell. But maybe if you’re lucky, I will _show_ you later.”

Armie leaned down to nuzzle his lips against Tim’s throat, finally breaking the ice between them. “I’d like that,” he breathed huskily, his light stubble tickling Tim’s neck. He felt goosebumps spread down his back.

“Are you ready to order?” The waitress appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Tim giggled with a touch of embarrassment as they picked up their menus for the first time. “Give us a couple of minutes? Thank you…”

*****

An hour later, their empty plates were pushed aside and after-dinner drinks had been ordered. Tim had slid his chair as close to Armie’s as possible, and was nestled against his chest, warm from three glasses of red wine. Armie pressed his lips against the top of Tim’s head.

“I am so full. That was delicious. Good choice, babe.”

Tim’s heart stuttered at the affectionate nickname. He swallowed and pulled away, deciding that now was a good time to bring up all the questions and concerns that had been on his mind all day.

“It was perfect. So, Armie… can we talk a bit before we head back to my place?” Tim knew that once they were alone in Tim’s apartment, it was unlikely that much talking would happen.

Armie pulled away to look at Tim head-on, his eye crinkled with concern. Whether the concern was for Tim himself or for what Tim might be thinking of discussing, Tim had no idea.

“Of course. What did you want to talk about?”

Tim had been tossing this conversation around in his head all day—how he would bring it up and how Armie would respond. He had so many questions: what were he and Armie to each other; where was their relationship going; what (if anything) was Armie going to do about Liz and his marriage? And most of all, what would Tim do if Armie’s answers were not what Tim wanted to hear? Was he prepared to let Armie go? Even after an entire day’s deliberations, Tim had no idea how he would respond.

He took a deep breathe, attempting to calm his pounding heart. “This was wonderful, Armie. I loved spending time with you tonight, on a real date, and I want to do it again.” Armie nodded in agreement, and to encourage Tim to continue. “I just need to know, where are we going? With, this? With… us?”

Tim felt massively uncomfortable; totally out of his element. He was used to being the detached one in his relationships, the one keeping his partner at arm’s length. But he was growing far too fond of Armie, far too quickly. A dangerous situation to be in with a married man.

Armie nodded slowly, his eyes on Tim. He didn’t speak for several long moments, his face becoming increasingly anguished as the seconds passed. Tim squirmed and started to talk again, just to break the silence. “I’m sorry, Armie, I just…”

Armie put a hand up. “No, Tim. You have every right to ask. To be honest, I have put off thinking about all of those things you just asked, and your questions are kind of hitting me hard right now. The honest answer is… I’m not sure. You mean a lot to me, Tim. When I’m not with you, I can’t stop thinking about you, and I am happiest when I am with you. You make me feel complete.” He huffed a small laugh. “That sounds so cheesy. But I feel like you see me. Does that make sense?”

Tim nodded frantically. Armie’s emotions completely mirrored his own. “But I just can’t promise you anything right now, Tim. I can’t just break up with Liz the way you broke up with Lily. My situation is so much more complicated. I have my marriage, my family, and my business to think about. So I… I will understand if you don’t want to see me anymore because of that. You deserve more than my crumbs, babe.”

That nickname again. Tim’s heart clenched. This was not what he wanted to hear, but he had to admit he wasn’t surprised. And now the ball was in his court. Was he even capable of letting Armie go?

“I don’t care, Armie,” he blurted without thinking. “I just need you, whatever you can give me.”

_Apparently not._


	12. twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys' date from Armie's perspective, then they head back to Tim's apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are heating up!
> 
> Thank you all, as always, for your enthusiastic reception of this fic. It is a bit of melodrama, so it's fun to write. Not a fic to be taken too seriously! 
> 
> Love all the Kudos and especially comments!!! xoxoxo

Twelve

**Armie**

Armie spent the day distracted by his own irritation at the situation at home. The absurdity of it all—that the ex-girlfriend of the man he is cheating on his wife with has come to live with him. Armie did realize that he was actually the bad guy in the current scenario, but that didn’t seem to decrease his annoyance at having Lily taking up space in his home.

He pushed aside his frustration to intermittently indulge in guilt over the situation (but never for long), which would always eventually morph into thoughts of Tim. He briefly considered calling off seeing Tim that night, but then he scoffed at himself. Who was he kidding? The prospect of spending time with Tim again was the only thing that was keeping him hanging on at the moment.

It was during one of these endless cycles of thought that he received the text from Tim asking if he’d like to go on an actual date that night. Armie’s first instinct was to immediately text back that that was a terrible idea—they could be seen. But he decided to first Google the restaurant Tim had suggested--a tiny red sauce joint in an out-of-the-way neighborhood—and the image of the two of them at a back table, sipping wine and stealing kissing took hold of him and wouldn’t let go. He texted back in the affirmative. It was a date.

Next, he had to deal with the issue of letting Liz know that he would once again be occupied that night. He worried that the amount of time he was spending with Tim was beginning to get suspicious. But she replied that it was no problem, she had already planned a night out with some of the other NYC fashion bloggers. He felt himself start to become annoyed that she had not mentioned these plans to him previously, but then chastised himself. Why should he care? She also mentioned that Lily was working that night; Armie was totally free to do as he pleased.

Taking advantage of being the boss (something he rarely did), Armie gave himself the afternoon off. He went home, grabbed a short nap, then had a quick workout at the gym. When he got home, Lily had already left for work, and Liz was on her way out for her dinner. She gave him a peck and breezed out the door, barely saying goodbye. Armie shrugged away the slight, focusing instead of getting dressed in his favorite navy Brioni suit, the one he knew he looked particularly good in. And now that he was finally alone in the apartment, he allowed himself to start to get excited for the evening ahead and to imagine how this date (because it _was_ a date. He was going on a _date._ With _Tim_ … holy shit!) would go.

Armie arrived at the restaurant a little after 7; his entire body felt electric at the prospect of seeing Tim again. It was somewhat unnerving how deep under his skin Tim had crawled in the short time they had known each other. Armie made his way through the small bistro, squeezing his large frame past the tight spaces between tables, until he got to the back room. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he spied Tim standing up from a small table to greet him. Armie felt like a 13-year-old girl, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of Tim, looking soft in a striped sweater that set off his green eyes, his curls shiny and neatly styled. It was evident that he had taken great care in appearance and that thought made Armie melt a little with affection. Tim’s happy smile at the sight of Armie lit up the dim room.

“Tim,” he breathed as if it were his first real breath of the day.

Armie greeted Tim with a soft nuzzle, wanting nothing more than to slip his hands under Tim’s sweater and feel the long, smooth expanse of his back. He settled for a soft, almost-platonic brush of the lips that was still somehow thrilling to Armie. He wondered just how he was going to keep his hands off of Tim for the duration of their dinner.

Despite the temptations, both men displayed admirable self-control during their date and Armie found himself amazed as always at how much he enjoyed Tim’s company. Their conversation dipped into many topics, and even brushed past Liz a few times, but never lingered. Armie ventured to ask Tim about his and Lily’s breakup, but Tim just sighed and said, “She just realized what I’d already figured out… that we should never have moved in together.”

Armie decided to leave his answer at that for the moment. The last thing he wanted was to mar their night with talk of Tim’s ex. Tim did have the clarity of mind to then glance regretfully at Armie and add, “I’m so sorry she landed at your doorstep. Hopefully she’ll find another place to live soon.”

Armie squeezed Tim’s hand in reassurance. “Hey, if her crashing at our place for a while means that your place is free, then it is actually worth it.” Tim grinned at that; it was the truth.

Dinner was over and cleared when Tim brought up the topic that Armie was hoping to avoid: his and Liz’s future. He answered as honestly as he could, given that he didn’t know the actual answer. At this point, Armie knew he was being a bit selfish—he wanted to keep Tim while also maintaining a façade of a marriage with Liz. This wasn’t sustainable, but for now he did not see another way. It was clear that he could not stop seeing Tim (the man was a drug to Armie), yet he was still not ready to give up on his marriage. That would mean turning his back on his family, his reputation, possibly even his career. All for a 24-year old man that he had known for less than two weeks? Armie just wasn’t ready to make that decision, to take that step. But he understood why Tim was asking him. He felt the same insatiable pull to Tim that Tim was obviously feeling to him.

Armie ended that conversation by trying to give Tim an out if he wanted it, but Tim did not take it. He was as far gone as Armie.

“I just need you, Armie. Whatever you can give me.” Those words pierced Armie’s heart like an arrow. What he really wanted was to give Tim _everything_.

*****

Tim insisted on paying for dinner, a move that worried Armie knowing that Tim had just lost his roommate and with it, half his rent. But he didn’t want to end the date with an argument, however well-intentioned, so he let Tim give the waitress his credit card. They each took a last sip of their after-dinner drinks, draining their glasses and eyed the other across the table. Armie broke out into a wide grin.

Tim nudged Armie’s shoulder with his own. “What is it? Why the huge grin?”

Armie shrugged. “Oh, nothing. I just have big plans for how I can show my appreciation for this delicious dinner when we get back to your place.”

Tim’s eyes widened at the thought. He leaned over and tugged open Armie’s collar, kissing the bit of skin and tuft of hair that was showing. “Do these plans include this suit? Because as hot as you look in it, I can’t wait to see you out of it,” he murmured appreciately.

The rest of the restaurant seemed to fade away as Tim and Armie enjoyed a moment in what felt like a private bubble, waiting for the bill to return so they could start the rest of their night, alone.

*****

The men wandered into the cool summer night, the tension between them as taut as the strings of a violin. Armie took Tim’s hand as soon as they were outside, and Tim responded by tugging him into the alley next to the restaurant, then pushing him against the restaurant’s exterior brick wall.

“I like this side of you. Commanding.” Armie breathed, as Tim slipped his hands into Armie’s jacket and pressed his body against Armie’s.

“It’s your fault. Waltzing into the restaurant looking like a fucking wet dream in a suit,” Tim managed between biting and sucking Armie’s next. Armie let his head fall back against the wall, not caring what he might be leaning against, just enjoying the warm sensation of Tim’s lips on his skin. He wished they were alone so he could tear his off clothes and devour him whole.

“Let’s grab a cab before I do something indecent to you in this alley,” he grunted, feeling his cock filling as Tim undid another button on Armie’s shirt. “Tim, you have to stop. Seriously…”

Tim let a hand slip down between Armie’s legs. He palmed Armie’s bulge and squeezed teasingly. “Why? Are you scared you’re going to come in your expensive suit?”

Armie groaned and rolled his hips into Tim’s hand. “Honestly? A little.” He leaned down and kissed Tim hard, wanting more. “Let’s get out of here.”

Eventually, Armie pulled them away from the alley, quickly flagging down a taxi. Tim tried his best to push the cab ride into R-rated territory, sliding into Armie’s space and pushing a hand between his legs. Armie let out an uncharacteristic giggle and gently nudged his hand away.

  
“Stop, Tim,” he hissed, but then kissed Tim anyway.

“You love it,” Tim smiled into Armie’s mouth. They made out in the backseat for the entire trip back to their building. Armie had never imagined that, at 31, he would enjoy just kissing someone has much as he did with Tim. He never wanted to take his mouth off of Tim.

As the taxi pulled over to let them out at their building, Armie glanced at the rear view mirror to find the driver watching them with raised eyebrows. He pulled away from Tim and flushed, unused to being in a position where he was judged by strangers. He tried to shake off the unsettling feeling as he paid for the ride and helped Tim out of the cab with an outstretched hand.

They walked into the building a few feet apart, each hoping to avoid anyone they knew. Luckily, the lobby was empty apart from the doorman and an elderly woman getting ready to take her pug for a walk. Tim smiled briefly at the doorman, but Armie greeted him by name and gave him a friendly fist bump.

Once in the elevator, Tim pressed against Armie again, unable to keep away from him. “You’re such a friendly guy,” he teased, “Will you show me _just how_ friendly you are when we get to my place?”

Armie snorted. “You’re dumb,” he said fondly, as the elevator door slid open on the third floor. “Come on, I’m feeling pretty fucking friendly right now.” Tim scrambled after him.

**Tim**

Tim didn’t have much of a bar selection at his apartment (and he chastised himself for not going booze shopping earlier, knowing that Armie would be coming over. He would have to improve his alcohol selection now that Armie was becoming a frequent guest), so he cracked open two bottles of beer for them and brought them over to the couch. Armie had already taken off his jacket and was making himself comfortable, looking happy and at-home in Tim’s small space. As always, Tim’s heart sped up at the sight of Armie. Perhaps Tim was prone to hyperbole, but he truly believed that Armie was the most gorgeous man he had ever seen. That Armie was risking his marriage for him… a skinny, slightly obnoxious 24-year old working actor… seemed unbelievable to him.

Tim settled on the couch next to Armie, resisting the impulse to throw down his beer bottle and drag him into the bedroom. Fortunately, Armie seemed to be having the same thoughts, because after a cursory sip of his beer, he placed it on the coffee table, then took Tim’s bottle from his hand and placed it next to his own.

Armie turned to Tim with a predatory lick of his lips. “Finally,” he growled, and in one swift move, he had flipped Tim onto his back on the couch, a domineering move that went straight to Tim’s dick. Armie lay on Tim, pressing him into the cushion. The kissed for several minutes, all desperate tongue and teeth, until Tim could no longer tolerate not having Armie’s skin against his own.

“Take off your clothes,” Tim gasped. Armie laughed at the Tim’s directness, but quickly complied, sitting up long enough to push off his slacks and pull his dress shirt over his head. Tim watched, slack-jawed, as more and more of Armie’s body was revealed.

“Close your mouth and get naked with me,” Armie commanded. Tim grinned as he tugged off his sweater. Within moments, their clothing was shed, and Armie was crawling back on top of Tim. Tim sighed with a feeling that was close to rapture as the the heat of Armie’s skin blanketed him. _Finally, finally, fucking finally_. The space on the couch was tight, but that seemed to suit them both fine for the moment. Armie bracketed his arms around Tim’s head, and rolled his hips to find some friction. Both of them were already hard (had _been_ half hard pretty much all night), and Tim snaked his hands over Armie’s ass to pull him closer. They both groaned as their cocks rubbed together.

“Fuck, Armie. I could come like this,” Tim moaned. Armie didn’t reply, but hummed in assent. Tim let one of his hands slide into the warm space between Armie’s thighs, and Armie spread his legs open just enough to let Tim know that he approved.

Tim knew he needed lube to make any type of real progress into Armie’s asshole, but he wanted tease him. He pushed his index finger deeper into the crevice and whispered, “I want to fuck you, Armie. Will you let me fuck you later?”

Armie’s breath stuttered and Tim knew he had taken him by surprise, but Armie nodded, then pulled away to look into Tim’s eyes. “I want that, too, Tim. You know I do.”

Their eyes locked, bonded by the knowledge that they were both prepared to cross yet another sexual divide. Armie started to sit up, ready to drag Tim to the bedroom, when a sound suddenly came from the front door. He froze and glanced down at Tim, who was also frozen in place, listening. The sound came again, this time more clear… keys jangling, then turning in the lock. Before either man had time to react, the front door had swung open, and a beautiful brunette was suddenly in the entrance, her head down as she pulled the key out of the front door.

“Timo! Hey, it’s me… sur….”

Pauline’s eyes fell on the two men, still laying in shock, naked on the couch.

“Prise?”


	13. thirteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No spoilers! Tim and Pauline talk, and things progress...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short, chapter, but I will be adding the next one soon, I promise! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!
> 
> xoxox

thirteen

**Tim**

Tim, Armie, and Pauline all froze in place for a half-second, a miniscule amout of time that felt like an eternity to Tim. He was mortified to have been caught by his sister, naked, with his new male lover. Pauline stood staring at the two of them until her brain finally seemed to go back on-line, and she backed out of the apartment.

“Oh fuck, Tim. Sorry! I’ll give you a minute to cover up…”

As soon as the apartment door shut, Tim fell face-first into Armie’s chest, muffling a scream.

“Fuuuuuck! I can’t believe that just fucking happened! What the fuck is she doing here???”

Armie responded by rubbing Tim’s back, trying to calm him down. “Was that… your sister? Why is she here?”

Tim shook his head, his face still buried in Armie’s chest. “I don’t know. She didn’t tell me,” came his muffled answer. He lifted his head up, looking at Armie with anguished eyes. “I’m so sorry. We had better get dressed.”

Armie nodded, and they stood up, awkwardly pulling on their clothes. Tim reflected at the change in apartment’s previously sexually-charged atmosphere in just a few short minutes. Once they were both fully dressed, Armie took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

“It’ll be alright, babe. I better go. Call me later?”

Tim gave Armie a small smile, and started to turn away. Armie stopped him, grabbing his bicep and pulled him in for a tight hug.

“We can finish what we started. Okay? Promise me?”

Tim nodded again, dreading the moment Armie left and he would have to face his sister and her inevitable barrage of questions. Pauline had met Lily a few times in London and they had gotten along well. She had approved when Tim asked if Lily could move into her place with him after his play closed. She liked the idea of a woman staying with him, making sure Tim (who was a bit of slob) took care of the apartment. Tim had neglected to let her know that his circumstances had recently changed.

Tim walked Armie out; he opened his door to find Pauline leaning against the wall opposite his apartment, waiting patiently. She stood up straight when Armie came out, obviously expecting an introduction.

Tim scrubbed a hand down his face, feeling beyond uncomfortable, wishing the floor would literally open up and consume him.

“So Pauline, this is my, um, friend, Armie. Armie, this is my sister. Pauline.”

Pauline looked down the entire expanse of Armie's body, then back up again, ending at his face. Her eyebrows rose the slightest bit. Tim could read her like a book; she thought that he was hot. But, then again, who wouldn’t? She nodded, but didn’t put out a hand to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Pauline. I better go….” Armie was as cool as a cucumber; an observer would never guess that he had just been found naked and in a compromising position.

The siblings watched as he walked down the hall and disappeared through the door to the stairwell, then Pauline immediately turned to Tim. His stomach dropped in anticipation.

She regarded Tim incredulously, seemingly at a loss for words (a situation that was rare for Pauline).

“So… I don’t even know where to start, Timo.”

Tim sighed. “Can we go inside? I need a drink for this….”

Pauline followed him into the kitchen and he got them both a beer.

“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in _France_!” Tim asked.

Pauline hopped up onto the kitchen counter, took a long sip of her beer, then replied, “My dance company had a few days off, so I thought I’d come home and surprise you and mom and dad. Guess _that_ was a success. So… does Lily know?”

Tim bit his bottom lip, realizing what a fucking complicated situation this was. “No, but…. we broke up. A few days ago.”

Pauline nodded slowly. “Because of… what was his name? Armie? Good job with him, by the way. He is _smoking_.”

Tim snorted, relieved to be able to laugh a bit. “Yeah, I know. So, Armie and I getting together was what finally pushed me to break up with her, but it was inevitable. I fucked up by having her move here, Pauline. I never should have let her come with me. I’m a complete asshole.”

Pauline set down her beer and pulled Tim into hug. “I knew it when you told me, but I also didn’t think that it was my place to say anything.” She pulled back to look Tim in his eye. “I could tell when you were together that you didn’t love her. I’m sorry she got hurt in the process, though. She’s a nice girl. So, where is she now?”

Tim groaned. This was the really bad part. He didn’t want to tell Pauline; he was ashamed and didn’t want her to think even worse of him, but she would find out eventually. He took a deep breathe. “She is staying at Armie’s apartment.” Pauline’s mouth dropped open in shock. “With Armie and his….wife. She works for Armie’s wife. Oh, please don’t hate me, Pauley!”

Pauline threw her head back against the cupboard door in frustration. “Oh, Timo, what have you _done_?” She sighed and looked at her brother again, shaking her head. “I could never hate you, you big dumbie, but how the hell did you get yourself into this mess? God, he must be a good fuck…”

Tim couldn’t hide the smile that crept on his face. “Well, we’ve only had sex once, and it was… it was his first time with a man. But yeah, it was pretty amazing. _He_ is pretty amazing. Oh god, Pauline. I think I’m falling in love with him.” Tim looked at her miserably. There: he had said it, and it was true. He was falling in love with a married man. He was _fucked_.

Pauline shook her head, trying unsuccessfully not to worry about her little brother’s judgement.

“Is he planning on leaving his wife for you?” Concern shaded her pretty face. She didn’t give a fuck about this Armie; she didn’t want her baby brother to get hurt.

He shrugged miserably. “I don’t know. He is still ‘working out’ what he is going to do,” he replied, using finger quotes.

Pauline rolled her eyes then pulled Tim into another hug. “ _Working out what he is going to do_. Timo, you need to shut that shit down. He doesn’t get to have you _and_ her. You deserve better.”

Tears started to spill from Tim’s eyes. He had never cried over Armie before, but the intensity of the events of the night, coupled with having the safe harbor of Pauline to talk to made him suddenly very emotional. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“Come on, let’s go sit and you can tell me the whole thing, from the beginning,” Pauline said. Tim nodded and they headed to the living room. As they were settling onto the couch, a few tentative knocks sounded through the door.

“Expecting someone? Wasn’t I enough surprises for one night?” Pauline asked.

Tim shrugged; he couldn’t imagine who it could be.

He opened there door to find a very discombobulated Armie, a look of shock on his face.

“Oh my god, Armie! Is everything okay?” Tim asked, pulling him into the door.

Armie shook his head slowly, then let out an astonished snort. “You’re not going to fucking believe this, Tim…”

**Armie**

Tim’s door shut behind Armie, and he sagged in misery against the hallway wall. What the hell had just happened? One minute, he was in literal heaven with Tim, hot and heavy, Tim’s finger venturing to some interesting places on Armie’s body. The next, he is hiding his junk behind a throw pillow, face-to-face with Tim’s sister. He had never been so mortified in his life. And now poor Tim was going to have to face an interrogation from her, and she did not seem like the type to let him off easy.

Oh well, there was nothing Armie could do to help him now. He glanced at his phone; it was only 10:30pm, fairly early for a Friday night. He had no idea what time to expect Liz and Lily home; he could only hope to have the apartment to himself for a few hours. He pushed off the wall with a sigh; he could really use a drink. Armie took the stairs back up to his own apartment, looking forward to a bourbon and coke, and maybe a few episodes of Top Chef. He would text Tim in a bit to check on him; he hoped that his sister would not be too hard on him.

He let himself into his apartment and immediately heard music coming from his bedroom—Liz was home already. Armie tried not to let that fact irritate him, even though he had been looking forward to some alone-time to process his night with Tim. He went to the kitchen to make his drink, adding a bit more bourbon than normal. He needed an extra strong cocktail after the night he had had.

He headed to his bedroom to change out of his suit and say hello to Liz, see how her night went with her girlfriends. He was surprised she was in her room listening to music; that was a bit unlike Liz. Usually she was either on her laptop with headphones on or in the living room, watching television.

Armie opened the door, and it took his brain a second to process the scene that he came upon on his bed. Limbs, hair, back… an ass in the air… and _Lily_? Spread eagle across the mattress. Liz sat up quickly from her post between Lily’s legs, wiping her mouth.

“Oh my god, Armie! You’re home early!”

Oh.

_Oh._


	14. fourteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crazy night continues...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for going on this crazy roller-coaster ride with me! Yes, this Tim and this Armie maybe aren't the most stand-up guys, but that's ok, right??? This is all just in fun! And we NEED FUN right now ;)
> 
> Thank you for every Kudos and comment... and remember, authors live for comments!
> 
> xoxox hope you are all safe and healthy in this scary time!

fourteen

**Armie**

Armie was pouring a stiff drink in his kitchen while he waited for Liz to get dressed and come out. He honestly did not know if his heart would recover from yet another shock. He felt like these two unpleasant surprises in one night had taken a few years off of his life.

He had no idea what he was going to say when Liz appeared. He was still trying to process what he had seen, and he had too many questions to even fully and properly do that. But he was trying very hard to not be angry; that would be unforgivably hypocritical.

The bedroom door opened and a chastened Liz appeared wearing yoga pants and a hoodie.

“Can I get one of those?” she asked, nodding down at his drink. He shrugged and poured her a finger of booze. She drank it down in one gulp and looked up at Armie. They had been through too much together to bullshit each other.

They both spoke at once-

“How long has this…”

“I’m so sorry, Armie. I should have...”

They stopped talking; Armie put up a hand. “You first.”

Liz took a deep breath and started again. “I… I don’t really know what to say. We never planned this. It just sort of happened, and…”

Suddenly Lily’s voice sounded from the bedroom, “Don’t apologize, Liz!”

She appeared in the doorway, looking like an angry sprite. “You _know_ he is fucking Tim! Don’t let him make you feel bad!”

Liz stared at Armie, as if she could somehow see the truth if only she looked hard enough. “Is that true? Lily has been telling me that for the last week.”

Armie downed the rest of his drink, putting off the inevitable. He set down his glass, looked her in the eye, and nodded. “It is true. I am so sorry, Liz.”

Liz huffed a bitter laugh. “Aren’t we a pair?” She poured another drink. “Look, Armie. I really can’t deal with this tonight. Can we talk tomorrow? Please? We have both had too much to drink, and been through way too much stress. I, for one, am exhausted.”

Armie had to agree; he had a lot of think about. And, to be honest, he was eager to get back to Tim. He nodded, and grabbed his phone and keys.

“I’ll call you in the morning.” 

Liz’s eyes narrowed. “Are you going back to Tim’s?”

“Are you going back to our bedroom with Lily?” he countered, leaving Liz speechless.

And with that, he turned to leave.

*****

Armie was not looking forward to seeing Tim’s sister again, but his need to be with Tim, to share his shock and utter confusion with the other person who was affected in all of this, overrode any embarrassment he felt. He knocked quietly on Tim’s door, not wanting to disturb any of Tim’s neighbors. Tim answered looking concerned, then immediately pulled Armie into his apartment.

Pauline was still there; Tim had obviously been filling her in on the events of the last month.

“What’s going on?” Tim looked terrified. “Does Liz know about us?”

Armie had to bark a laugh at that, causing Tim’s face to wrinkle in confusion. “Armie, please. Tell me. You’re acting a little crazy.”

Armie nodded; he was sure that he did seem a bit insane. “I will, I’m sorry. I just feel… like my head is about to explode. Can I get some water, please, Tim?”

“Of course. Then I need to know what is going on.”

Tim left for the kitchen, and Armie glanced at Pauline, who was still sitting on the couch, silently appraising Armie. Armie wanted to smile at her, to show that he wasn’t actually a madman, but he couldn’t get his face to cooperate. Luckily, Tim returned quickly with a cup. Armie downed the water in a few big gulps, immediately wishing for more. It had been a long night, and he had had far too much to drink.

“Here, sit down,” Tim said, dragging a chair over for Armie. He returned to the couch next to Pauline and waited.

Armie took a deep breath… how could he even start?

“So. So… I got home and Liz was there already….”

Tim nodded, silently encouraging him to continue.

“And she was with Lily.”

Tim nodded again. This wasn’t surprising. Lily was staying with them.

Armie shook his head. “No, I mean. She was _with_ Lily. In our _bed.”_

Both of the Chalamet’s mouths fell open, suddenly understanding the situation.

“Holy shit, Timo,” Pauline said. “I guess I don’t feel that bad for Lily anymore.”

Tim leaned forward on the couch. He seemed to want to touch Armie, but he was too far away. “Oh my god, Armie. Did you talk to Liz? How long has this been going on for?”

“We talked really briefly. It was very awkward. I mean, obviously. And Lily accused us of being together, so Liz asked me if we were.”

Tim swallowed. There it was. “What did you say?”

Armie shrugged. “I wasn’t going to lie! I told her that it was true. Honestly, she didn’t seem that upset about it.” He shook his head with disbelief, and some sadness. “I guess my entire fucking marriage was a lie after all.”

Tim didn’t know what to say to that. The Hammer marriage wasn’t his business, but he agreed that it certainly did not seem to be a solid union, as it had initially appeared. He had believed a façade, along with the rest of the world.

“Anyway, neither of us was in the right frame of mind to discuss things tonight. We’re going to talk tomorrow, I guess.”

The three sat in silence for a moment, absorbing all of this information. The night had taken on a surreal mood, and Armie just wanted to be in Tim’s arms, to try and forget everything that had just happened, from Pauline’s untimely entrance to his discovery of his wife’s affair.

Pauline turned to Tim. “Well, I still need to go see mom and dad. I’m staying with them while I’m here. I think this is probably a good time to go? Call me tomorrow and update me.” She gave Tim a long hug. “I love you, Timo.”

They all stood up and Pauline turned to Armie. “It was nice to meet you, Armie. I’m sorry it was under such crazy circumstances. And sorry about your wife? I guess?”

Armie shrugged with a sad smile and nodded. “Thanks,” was all he could say.

Tim walked his sister out, then immediately turned to Armie with a grin. “So… where were we?”

**Tim**

Ten minutes later, Tim and Armie were laying on Tim’s bed facing each other, not quite touching; teeth brushed, stripped down to their boxer shorts. As much as Tim wanted to pick up right where they had left before being so rudely interrupted by Pauline (naked, with his finger exploring Armie’s ass), he sensed that what Armie needed right now was comfort. 

He turned to Armie and held out his arms. “Come here,” he whispered. Armie slid over, scooting down a few inches on the mattress to lay his head on Tim’s chest. Tim wrapped his arms around Armie’s shoulders and gently squeezed; they both let out a sigh of relief at finally being safe in each other’s arms. He liked the feeling of taking care of Armie, who was so much bigger and stronger than Tim. He felt an overwhelming need to watch over him, to tend to him and make sure his needs were being met. He leaned down and softly kissed the top of his head, then let his lips rest gently in his hair.

“Thank you, Tim. This is exactly what I needed,” Armie murmured into Tim’s bare chest. They lay quietly for a few moments, and Tim let his eyes close. He was on the verge of sleep when Armie’s stubble began to tickle Tim’s chest as his tongue caressed Tim’s nipple.

“What are you doing?” Tim asked groggily, with a bit of a giggle, lifting his head slightly to get a better view.

Armie snorted, his mouth still on Tim’s pec. “What do you _think_ I am doing?”

Tim let his head fall back on the pillow, relishing the sensation. “Mmm, don’t stop.”

Armie seemed to perk up with Tim’s words; he lightly nibbled first on one nipple, then the other, sending sparks of electricity and want down Tim’s body. Armie shifted so he was nestled between Tim’s legs, and let his mouth and teeth explore slowly down Tim’s body. Tim arched his back, praying that Armie didn’t stop too soon, aching for his lips to wrap around his awakening cock. This was something that Armie had never done with Tim, and had actually never done _ever_ , but he was headed in that direction and Tim wanted to be as encouraging as possible.

When Armie’s lips met Tim’s waistband, he pulled them down just a bit and glanced up at Tim, seeking permission. Tim’s heart sped up… fuck, Armie looked so good between his legs. Tim nodded quickly and lifted his hips to help himself out of his boxers. Armie pulled them down and off, tossing them onto the floor, then turning his full attention back to Tim’s throbbing erection. He looked nervous but eager. “So beautiful,” he uttered, almost under his breath.

“Tell me if I do something you don’t like,” he added in that low voice that Tim loved, as he ran his huge hands up and down Tim’s slim thighs. “Or if there is something you want.”

He wrapped a beefy fist around the base of Tim’s erection, and gave his head a tentative lick. Tim’s entire body trembled at the simple fact that _Armie’s tongue_ was on his dick. This was happening.

“That. Keep doing _that,_ ” Tim rasped, barely able to speak. His eyes fell shut as Armie’s hot mouth closed around him, and all he felt was _wet heat_ and _pure pleasure._ He gave a soft hum, wanting to let Armie know that ‘ _yes, this is good, keep going.’_

Armie’s head began to bob on Tim’s cock, slowly at first, as if he were unsure of how much he could take into his mouth. Tim tried to control his hips, not wanting to gag Armie on his first try. He clung feverishly to the sheets with both fists as Armie's mouth began to move faster up and down his dick.

“Oh god, Armie. Just like that… fuck, that feels so good.” Tim hoped that Armie didn’t mind talk during sex; it was all he could do not to yell out. “Use your fist, too. Fuck, yes… like that…”

Armie was apparently an eager student. His fist was a blur on Tim’s dick, and he hollowed his cheeks as he sucked. Tim got lost in the sensation, and bucked his hips slightly up into Armie’s face. Armie gagged slightly, but kept going.

“Sorry,” Tim stuttered, and pushed his hands though Armie’s hair. He felt his orgasm start to well and the urge to fuck into Armie’s face was overwhelming. Armie seemed to sense he was close and pulled off to take Tim’s balls into his mouth while his fist slid over the length of his shaft, urging on his release.

“Fuck, I’m going to come, Armie,” Tim gasped, and seconds later, a ribbon of white liquid shot onto his stomach. Armie pulled his mouth off of Tim and slowed his hand, gently coaxing out every last bit of his semen while Tim caught his breath. When it was clear he was done, Armie reached over to Tim’s nightstand and grabbed a tissue, lovingly cleaning off the sticky residue that covered his belly. Tim felt like a precious possession.

“Damn, Armie. Are you sure you haven’t done that before?”” Tim asked between pants. Armie reached up and kissed Tim with more affection than heat. “I’m a fast learner,” was his reply. They kissed again and Tim could feel Armie’s hard-on still swathed in his boxer-briefs, nudging against Tim’s thigh. He reached down to slide his hand under Armie’s waistband and grasp his huge cock.

“Let me take care of you,” he murmured hungrily, suddenly desperate to have Armie in his mouth, to taste his pre-come on his lips. He had only had this once before, but Armie’s dick was a thing of beauty, thick and veiny. Tim salivated at the memory of it.

Armie had barely given a nod before Tim was shoving down his underwear with a huge grin. He could tell just by how incredibly hard Armie was that he was already close.

_Just from sucking me off_ , Tim thought with pride. He spit on Armie’s dick, then wrapped his mouth around the tip. With the skill of an expert, he relaxed his throat and swallowed Armie’s entire length down to the base. Armie gasped in pleasure and surprise.

Armie’s head pressed against the deepest part of Tim's throat, and he willed himself not to gag. “Fuck, Tim…” Armie groaned, “I am so close already.”

_I know_ , Tim thought, and started sucking on Armie with a steady rhythm. Armie pulled Tim’s hair, probably harder than he meant to, but Tim didn’t mind at all. He maybe even liked it a bit. He picked up the pace, spit dripping out of the corners of his lips, until he felt Armie swell in his mouth.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m gonna come, babe….” Tim responded with full suction on Armie’s cock, and then was rewarded with a mouth full of hot semen seconds later. He swallowed it all down with a sense of satisfaction at a job well-done.

At least something good had come of the night


	15. fifteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz hatches a plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fast chapter, barely edited, so please forgive any mistakes! And I hope I am forgiven for the contents of this chapter ;)
> 
> Thank you to my lovely readers for every Kudos and comments! I love you all!

Fifteen

**Tim**

The boys had fallen asleep tangled together on Tim’s bed sometime after midnight. They made a promise to talk the next day, then Armie fell asleep almost immediately, snoring lightly from what used to be Lily’s side of the bed. Tim stayed awake a little longer, breathing in Armie’s masculine scent and running his hands softly along Armie’s large frame. But what he was mostly doing was thinking about what would come next for the two of them.

From his standpoint, it seemed that their issues had resolved themselves. Liz was with Lily, he was with Armie: problem solved. He wasn’t sure what would happen next, but he _was_ sure that he and Armie would be together. It was actually pretty simple in his mind. He had no idea what would become of Liz and Lily, and he didn’t particularly care. Maybe that was cold-hearted of him--he could acknowledge that--but this was his first time falling in love and nothing was going to get in his way.

He took in one last deep breathe that was pure Armie, and he fell asleep, emotionally and physically satiated.

*****

Tim woke the next morning to find the other side of the bed empty. He shot up and looked over to the bathroom door. It was ajar and the bathroom was dark; Armie wasn’t in there. Tim’s heart fluttered with disappointment that Armie was not lying beside him; he needed to find him and make sure he was alright. He reached down and grabbed his boxers and a t-shirt from the floor and ventured out to the living room; he found Armie, fully dressed on his sofa, looking through his phone.

“Hey, I missed your warm body in bed this morning,” Tim murmured, crawling next to Armie on the couch, nuzzling into his neck. He had been hoping for some morning action, and Armie leaving the bed had thrown a wrench into that plan. But maybe it wasn’t too late…

But Armie shrugged Tim away and sighed. He looked beaten, dejected.

“What’s going on Armie? Talk to me,” Tim said, any thoughts of sex immediately stashed away for later. He took Armie’s hands in his own, trying to get Armie to look at him. A feeling of dread began to build as Armie looked away.

“It’s just all hitting me, everything that happened last night,” Armie’s voice was barely audible. He licked his lips and continued. “Liz and Lily, my marriage. I just keep wondering- do I fight for her, or let her go? Did we even have anything left worth fighting for? Do I still love her? Did I _ever?”_ He finally glanced at Tim, misery contorting his handsome face. “I feel so fucked up, Tim.”

Tim pulled Armie to him and just held him for a moment, but then found the courage to speak. “Be honest, Armie. If you had loved her, would you have been with me?”

*****

Tim made Armie some strong coffee and they sat on the couch, drinking and talking. He sensed that Armie needed him right now as a sounding board, and he was ready to be there for him, even if that meant hearing things that he didn’t like or want to know.

“It was just so good in the beginning,”’ Armie was saying. “We were friends first, so once we started dating, it mostly stayed the same. We hung out in a group and it was fun, it was _easy_. We married really soon after we started dating because we had known each other for so long already, it made sense. But the chemistry was never there, at least not for me. I had lied to myself, by saying that good sex wasn’t essential to a marriage. I loved her so much as a friend, and my parents liked her. All those things seemed much more important than sex at the time.”

Armie paused, took a sip of his coffee, and stared off, as if he were remembering. Tim waited quietly, giving Armie space to gather his thoughts. Eventually he continued.

“It would have been _fine_ , I guess, except then Liz started her blog, and she really began to change. She went from being this cool, easygoing girl to this shrill, materialistic woman, in like six months. She suddenly cared about things like designer clothing and going to parties with celebrities and getting her picture taken. And she wanted to use my family name to get her access to these things.”

He sighed and put down his coffee mug was an angry thud on the table. “That was the worst. She had never done that before. I felt used. Honestly, I didn’t even like her anymore. I thought it might get better once we moved here, away from L.A., but it really didn’t. I really couldn’t stand who she had become. We… we hadn’t had sex in months. And then I met you.”

Tim wasn’t sure what to say. Even before he had met Tim, it seemed that Armie had been living a lie. To Tim, it seemed to have been a _good_ thing that Armie was finally forced to admit the truth and maybe having a chance at happiness for himself. But that wasn’t what Armie needed to hear right now.

“I’m sorry, Armie….” That was all Tim could think to say.

Armie looked at Tim and seemed to truly see him for the first time that morning. His features smoothed and a light flickered in his blue eyes. “Don’t be. Please, Tim, don’t blame yourself at all. Because you know what? As much as this sucks, I am so fucking glad I met you.”

He leaned down and gave Tim a soft kiss, sending a shiver of relief through Tim’s entire body. That was everything he wanted.

Tim made some eggs and toast for breakfast. It was Saturday, so neither of the men had to rush off to work. Tim had hopes of spending the day together, but halfway through breakfast, Armie’s phone dinged. He glanced down at it and grimaced.

“It’s Liz. She wants to talk.”

“When?”

Armie read: “ _Please call me as soon as you are up. We need to talk ASAP.”_ He set down his phone and raked a hand over his face. “Fuck, Tim.”

**Armie**

Armie took a quick shower while Tim scrounged around in his closet for the biggest t-shirt he could find and a pair of shorts for Armie to borrow. Armie used Tim’s toothbrush while Tim sat on the bathroom counter, watching Armie get ready for his conversation with Liz.

Armie looked like a condemned man, scheduled for his execution that day. Tim searched for words to comfort him. “Hey, it will be okay. Just think of it as a chance to clear the air, so you both can move on. It will be good.” He laid a tentative hand on Armie’s back. “Will you come back here when you’re done, to tell me how it went? I’ll be here all day.”

Armie gave Tim a forced smile and nodded. “Definitely. I’ll text you before I come.”

Armie understood what Tim was saying—the talk could be positive, leading the way for an amicable split. But Armie knew Liz better than Tim did, and he didn’t think it would be that simple. He had a pit of dread in his gut that was growing with each passing moment, but Tim didn’t need to know that.

Armie grabbed his keys and phone, and leaned down to give Tim the softest of kisses.

“Good luck,” was the last thing he heard as he closed Tim’s door behind him. It was time to face the music.

*****

Armie opened his front door with overwhelming trepidation, having almost PTSD-flashbacks from the last time he was at his apartment. He was worried that Lily was still there; he could deal with Liz, but he had no ammunition against Lily that morning. Thankfully, Liz came out of the bedroom alone, looking as miserable as Armie felt. She seemed to be alone in the apartment.

“Coffee?” she asked, with no preamble.

Armie shook his head no. “I ate already.”

Liz gave a mean smile. “Oh, with your boyfriend?”

Armie sighed. “Please Liz, can we not do that? Can we please just talk like adults and be civilized?”

Liz actually looked chastened and nodded. “Yes, of course. Sorry. Let me get some coffee and we can talk in the kitchen.”

They settled in and regarded each other across the table. Armie was determined to wait for Liz to start, as she had been the one to instigate this conversation.

“So…” she began, then stopped and took a deep breath. “I guess we weren’t as happily married as we had previously believed.”

Armie gave a wry smile. _That_ was the understatement of the year. “It would appear that way,” he replied.

Liz leaned forward. “Look Armie, I still love you. I will always love you. But I don’t think either one of us was getting what we need physically from this marriage.” Armie nodded in agreement. Again, another obvious statement.

Liz continued. “But that doesn’t mean that we should just throw away what we had. There are still reasons for us to stay married. Actually, kind of important reasons when you think about it.”

That sense of dread returned to Armie. “Such as?”

Liz set down her coffee mug. “Armie, think about it: what would Dru and Michael say if they knew you were sleeping with a man? You would be fired, maybe even disowned. All of this,” she gestured around their grand apartment, “would be gone. I know you are angry at me, but is it worth throwing away your career and your family just so you can tell everyone you are fucking that little twink of a boy?”

“Please leave Tim out of this,” Armie snapped, but then sighed. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. “So what are you saying Liz? Exactly?”

“What I am saying, Armie, is that I don’t think we should let these little dalliances ruin our entire lives!”

“Tim is not a dalliance! I care about him a lot…”

Liz threw up a hand. “Save it. I really don’t give a fuck about you and Tim, Arms. What I am saying is, why throw out the baby with the bathwater? We can keep our marriage, and our lives. And you can keep seeing Tim.”

“And you’ll keep seeing Lily? And we will what, just live together platonically?”

Liz rolled her eyes. “I don’t know about Lily. I’m kind of bored with her already. She is very needy. But yes… that is basically what I am proposing. I can move into the guest room after Lily leaves, and we can keep up appearances. You keep your job, your family, and Tim; I keep your name. It’s a win-win solution. Can you see that?”

Armie wanted to disagree, to say that it was a terrible idea that went against everything he stood for. But the truth was, the idea of turning his back on his career and family terrified him. He had never had to stand on his own two feet before; he had always had the soft cushion of his family money to catch him whenever he faltered. Maybe he was weak, or cowardly, but Liz’s words actually made sense to him.

He closed his eyes and sighed with resignation. “Yes, I can see that. I hate the idea of living some lie, but the alternative…” He ran out of words. The alternative was uncomfortable, not ideal. “I am willing to try doing it your way.”

Liz grinned. “Great. I need to tell Lily that it’s time to move out. She knew it was coming; I don’t feel bad.” She pursed her lips in annoyance. “I am not looking forward to that drama, though. You should probably stay at Tim’s again tonight.”

And just like that, Liz was in charge again. Armie’s head was spinning. What had just happened?


	16. sixteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim has time to think, then Armie returns. 
> 
> Armie explores what it means to be a bottom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been working on this chapter on-and-off for over a week, and it's a bit of a long mess, but I just had a need to post it today. 
> 
> Thank you for your patience with this crazy story!
> 
> So appreciative of all Kudos and comments! xoxoxo

sixteen

**Tim**

Tim was restless after Armie left--a feeling of discontent, eating away at him. He had told Armie that he would be home all day, but he figured that it was safe to go out for an hour or so. He slipped on a baseball cap and sunglasses, grabbed his headphones, keys, and phone, and headed out into the city to the beats of Kid Cudi vibrating in his ears. He didn’t have a specific destination; wandering the streets of New York had just always calmed him and helped him think.

He passed the formidable structures of NYU and headed towards the smaller stores and cafes of the West Village. He barely looked where he was going; he knew the city like the back of his hand. He walked quickly, like every true New Yorker, and was very startled when someone he was about to pass suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking his way. He gasped and skidded to a halt, coming face-to-face with… Lily. Of all the fucking people in New York.

She tugged his t-shirt and gestured for them to get out of the way of the other people walking. He followed her to a space under the awning of a wine shop.

Lily was distressed; she cut right to the chase. “Liz and Armie are together now, aren’t they? Liz told me to leave the apartment for a few hours so they could talk.”

Tim nodded, not wanting to give away too much. He had no idea what Lily’s agenda was.

“He left my apartment maybe an hour ago,” he admitted. He took off his cap and ran his hands through his hair, agitated by this unexpected encounter with Lily. “I guess they’re just working through what happened. Figuring out what happens next with their marriage ending.”

Lily let out a loud scoff. “Their marriage ENDING? Wake up, Tim. Do you really think Liz is going to get off the Hammer gravy train?”

Tim was shocked into silence. It had never occurred to him that Liz and Armie wouldn’t split up after this. “Why... why do you think that?” He could barely get the words out.

Lily rolled her eyes. “Liz talks. A LOT. She likes the lifestyle they are living. She likes the things that Armie’s money buys. And she loves being a Hammer. You and I are just minor hurdles to her. I am sure she has already figured out how to get around us. We are disposable.”

A tear escaped Lily’s eye and rolled down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away, embarrassed. A wave of guilt rolled through Tim’s entire body. He had treated Lily poorly and now, apparently, so had Liz. She was just a young girl, far from her home. She didn’t deserve to be shit on, again and again.

“Hey. I’m sorry, Lily. For what I did, for what Liz is doing. I can help you find a place to live, if you’d like? I know a lot of people here.”

Lily shook her head no, her eyes downcast. “The universe is trying to tell me something, Tim. It’s time to go back to London. There is nothing for me here anymore. Liz hasn’t told me to move out yet, but I am sure she is going to. She doesn’t love me. She barely _likes_ me. I miss my friends and my family. There is no reason for me to be here anymore.”

They stood in silence for a moment, the crowds and sounds of Manhattan rushing by them. Tim needed to get home, to wait for Armie and find out if Lily’s words had any truth to them. He smiled at her with kindness and regret.

“I’m sorry it all turned out this way, Lily.”

She smiled sadly. “Me, too. Thank you, Tim. And goodbye.” With that, she turned to leave. Tim would never see her again.

*****

Tim had been back in his apartment only a few minutes when his phone dinged. It was Armie.

_AH: Are you home? I really need to see you._

_TC: I’m here. Come any time. Yes, I think we need to talk._

Tim waited for Armie on his sofa, a bundle of nerves. It was at times like this that he wished he still smoked. He could use the distraction.

He had no idea if Lily was right about the Hammers staying together, but he was about to find out. Was Armie going to throw him to the curb? Or did he want to have his cake and eat it, too? And if that is what Armie wanted, would Tim even consider that? It honestly wouldn’t be that be much different from what they had been doing before, but it seemed demeaning to Tim. Dirty.

He tried to turn his brain off. He needed to hear what Armie had to say.

His phone dinged again.

_AH: I’m here._

Tim opened the door to find a freshly showered Armie. He looked gorgeous and smelled delicious, but had a troubled air about him. Tim’s heart dropped into his stomach; he knew Armie was not bearing good news. He opened the door wider to let Armie in, then followed him to the couch.

“Tim, I…” he started.

“It’s ok,” Tim interrupted, “I know.”

Armie’s face furrowed with confusion. “You… know? Know what?”

Tim _really_ wished he had a cigarette now. He plucked at a loose string on his shorts, avoiding Armie’s eyes.

“I ran into Lily earlier. She said that you and Liz are staying together.” He chanced a glance at Armie. “Is that true?”

Armie was speechless; this was not what he was expecting. He had been hoping to ease into the conversation; now here he was, drowning in the middle of it.

He turned towards Tim and took his hand. Tim tried to pull away but Armie held it tighter.

“Tim, it’s just… it’s complicated. We won’t be _together_ together. It’s just for show. We… you and I… we can still be together.”

Tim narrowed his eyes. “But only behind closed doors.”

Armie squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him. “Just for now. Just until I figure out the best way to tell my parents.”

Tim thought about what Armie was saying. He could do this temporarily. Maybe _._

“Does Liz know? That you don’t want to do this permanently?”

Armie sighed. “No, not yet. But I’ll find a way to tell her. I promise.”

Tim stood up and walked to his living room window to consider the situation. He couldn’t think clearly when he was so close to Armie; he expended far too much energy on _not_ throwing himself at him to be able to properly consider what he was proposing. He didn’t want to lose this new thing that they had together, but to get tangled up in such a complicated situation? He wasn’t sure if he should do that, either.

Armie seemed to sense his ambivalence. He walked over and stood behind Tim at the window, wrapping his strong arms around Tim’s waist.

“I could even stay here, if you want,” he said softly, his lips brushing Tim’s ear, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Oh, Liz would love that. Having your place all to herself,” Tim replied with a touch of surliness. But he actually _did_ like the thought of Armie staying at his apartment with him. The sweet domesticity of it all: making meals together, having coffee in the morning, arguing about whose turn it was to do the dishes. Going to bed together every night. Tim’s heart sped up at the images in his brain; suddenly he wanted that more than anything in the world.

He turned around so he was chest-to-chest with Armie. “Okay, let’s try it. But it has to be temporary. I can’t play pretend with you forever, Armie.”

Tim tilted his head back to look into Armie’s crystal blue eyes. He heart stuttered as it always did when he allowed himself to fully appreciate Armie’s beauty. He suddenly knew one thing for certain: Armie would either prove to be the love of his life, or he would destroy Tim’s heart beyond recognition.

**Armie**

Armie was mentally and emotionally spent from his conversation with Liz, and the only thing he wanted to do was collapse in bed with Tim. But he had just delivered some pretty unexpectedly bad new to Tim, and he wouldn’t have blamed him if Tim needed some time or space from Armie to think about what he was proposing. It wasn’t fair to ask Tim to carry on in secret, to put a real relationship with Armie on hold for an indefinite amount of time, which is exactly what he was doing. Armie recognized that, and if Tim had rejected the idea, Armie would have understood.

A small part of Armie hoped that Tim _would_ refuse to go along with Liz’s ridiculous charade. Maybe if Armie was forced to make choice, he would finally have the courage to stand up to Liz. But despite his shock at Armie’s words initially, Armie could see by the tenderness in Tim’s eyes that his feelings for Armie had made the decision for him. He would go along with the idea… at least for the moment.

“Okay, let’s try it. But it has to be temporary. I can’t play pretend with you forever, Armie.”

Armie nodded readily. Temporary, until Armie had a plan. And followed through with it.

Tim raked his fingers through Armie’s hair. Armie closed his eyes, pressing his forehead to Tim’s.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“And you can stay here as long as you want. I would love to have you here. But… it’s a lot smaller than your place. I hope that’s ok?”

Armie opened his eyes to look at Tim incredulously. Did Tim really think he cared about the size of his apartment? He stepped back to get a good look at Tim. He was wearing an old t-shirts and baggy shorts. His curls peaked out of a crooked baseball cap. He was unshowered and scruffy. And he was, in no uncertain terms, the most gorgeous human Armie had ever laid eyes on.

Armie felt that sensation that he had only ever had with Tim, of wanting to devour him. Of wanting to somehow both worship him and destroy him. Of wanting to take him apart, piece by piece, and having Tim do the same to him.

“Tim, I don’t give a fuck about your apartment,” he barely managed to choke out, the words sticking in his throat.

There was something that Armie had wanted to do with Tim, almost since the first night they met. Something he had initially thought of as taboo. He felt dirty for wanting it, especially when thoughts of it first appeared in his mind when he still considered himself straight. But those thoughts became increasingly vivid and frequent as Armie spent more time with Tim. Armie had an itch that had to be scratched, and he began to push first one finger, then two into himself, sometimes in the shower, sometimes when he was alone in his bed. Always thinking of Tim, always picturing that one thing that he could barely admit he wanted.

Suddenly, Armie ached to have Tim’s cock inside him more than ever, and he could think of no reason not to pursue that longing anymore.

He grabbed Tim by the back of his neck, and pulled him in for a kiss, rough and urgent. Tim gasped, then relented, melting into Armie’s hot mouth. The kiss grew desperate quickly, and Tim pulled away long enough to gasp, “Let’s go to my bedroom.”

Tim pulled Armie to the room quickly, as if he were afraid the older man might change his mind. The bed was still rumpled from their sleep and previous night’s activities. Tim grabbed the sheets and comforter, violently yanking them off the bed and onto the floor. He flung off his baseball cap and then turned back to Armie, his eyes dark.

“Tell me what you want,” he commanded gently. They both knew what Armie wanted; it was what they had started the night before, when Pauline had interrupted them. But Tim needed to hear it again, to make sure it was still on the table.

Armie sat on the bed, Tim was hovering above him. He licked his suddenly-dry lips; this had been easier to ask for last night, after five drinks. He breathed deeply and just… said it. “I want you to fuck me, Tim.”

He breathed out, and Tim grinned with satisfaction. He looked so happy that Armie murmured it again, just to see Tim’s smile widen, just to please him even more. “Fuck me, Tim. _Please.”_

Tim crawled up onto Armie’s lap, his knees bracketing Armie’s thick thighs. He wrapped his arms around Armie’s neck and they kissed, softly at first. Tim began to grind down on Armie’s cock, which was already straining against the fabric of Armie’s pants, and their kisses became feverish and needy. Armie pulled Tim’s body flush against his own, so close it was impossible to know where he stopped and Tim began.

Armie suddenly _had_ to feel Tim’s bare skin--to have absolutely nothing between them. He slipped his hands under Tim’s t-shirt and almost groaned at the cool, smooth expanse of Tim’s back under his fingers. His fingers spanned the width of Tim’s slim form and he caressed every inch, wanting to touch each vertebrae, every rib.

He pulled off of Tim’s lips, causing Tim to whine a bit. “Get rid of this,” he gasped, tugging at Tim’s shirt. Tim’s eyes lit up and he scrambled off of Armie’s lap, discarding his tee in one swift motion while Armie did away with his own shirt. He began to unbutton his shorts, and Tim paused to watch, causing Armie to flush and duck his head.

“Don’t be embarrassed. You are gorgeous,” Tim reassured him. 

He quickly kicked off his shorts, then sat on the bed next to Armie, leaning down to press his lips to Armie’s perfect, toned chest. Armie shivered with the feel of Tim’s lips on his body. Tim slowly swirled his tongue around first one nipple, then the other, experimenting to see what Armie liked. No one had ever down that to Armie before and his body keened with the pleasure it gave him. Tim dragged his tongue down Armie’s taut abs, dipping his tongue lightly into Armie’s naval. Armie gasped—even that felt unbelievably good. Everything Tim did to Armie seemed to set him on fire.

“Take off your shorts,” Tim directed, and Armie quickly complied, finally pushing off his shorts and boxers and tossing them aside. Tim stood up, giving Armie a soft kiss.

“I’m going to get the lube; I need to open you up. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

Armie could only nod; he was an incoherent heap of nerves and lust. While Tim was in the bathroom, Armie crawled up to the top of the bed, settling onto the pile of pillows there. He let his thighs fall open, stroking his leaking erection with heated anticipation, his heart thrashing like a trapped hummingbird.

Tim came out of the bathroom and stuttered to a stop, his eyes widening at the sight of Armie on his bed, languidly fondling his cock.

“Holy shit, Armie. Look at you. _Fuck_.”

Tim crawled next to him, generously coating a finger with lube. “This will be easier if you lie on your belly.”

Armie hesitated at first, the image of himself face down, ass in the air, suddenly flooding his mind, making him flush. But his eagerness to please, to finally try this new _thing_ that had been haunting his mind overcame any misplaced embarrassment he might have felt. He quickly flipped over onto his stomach, spreading his thighs just enough to show Tim that he was ready.

He heard Tim’s breath hitch. He smiled to himself--he loved the reactions that he always got from Tim. So much more rewarding than Liz’s tepid participation in their sexual activities.

“This might feel cold at first,” Tim warned, pressing his lips to Armie’s while his hand made its way between Armie’s thighs. Armie bit back a gasp when Tim’s cold finger pushed between his cheeks, gently breaching the tight ring of muscle there. Armie was thankful that he had done this to himself several times. It was still an uncomfortable sensation at first, but not totally new and foreign. He knew from experience that as long as he stayed relaxed, it would start to feel good eventually. He trusted Tim to make that happen.

Tim kissed Armie again, sliding his warm tongue between Armie’s lips. The heat of their kiss distracted Armie from the sensation between his legs for a moment, and Tim pushed his finger a bit further. Armie gasped into Tim’s mouth, but kept the kiss going, focusing on breathing while Tim’s finger explored deeper into Armie’s body.

“You’re doing so well, baby. That’s one finger,” Tim murmured, his lips not leaving Armie’s. Armie felt his finger slide in and out, in and out, and his body adjusted to the sensation. He began to like the way Tim’s finger filled him up, sending soft shock waves up his spine each time it pushed back in. He let him legs fall open even wider. He felt exposed and vulnerable, but in Tim’s capable hands, this was a turn-on to Armie.

Tim withdrew his hand, and Armie glanced back to see what was happening. Tim was adding lube to another finger. He caught Armie’s glance and reassured him, “I’ll take it slow. Tell me if it hurts or feels uncomfortable.”

And it did, at first. But Armie kept his breathing steady and his body calm, and when Tim began to scissor his fingers, centimeters at first, then wider and wider, suddenly, it felt…. good. And right. And he wanted even _more_.

“Are you ok, baby?” Tim whispered, his other hand gently caressing Armie’s side. Armie felt so cherished under Tim’s loving touch. It was such a foreign experience to him- to be the one taken care of, rather than the caretaker. He was almost moved to tears by the gratitude he felt towards Tim at that moment.

He nodded quickly, barely able to utter the words, “I’m good… it feels good.”

Tim pressed his two fingers further into Armie, and with that thrust, unearthed that primal place, hidden deep within him. The spot that Armie had never known even existed until that moment. Tim touched it, pressed into it, and Armie felt a shock of pleasure flood through his entire body. He involuntarily moaned at this intense, unexpected sensation.

“That’s it, there it is. It feels good doesn’t it? I just want to make you feel good, baby. You are doing so well, Armie. Just keep going, just like this…”

Armie hadn’t realized it, but his hips had started to thrust back onto Tim’s finger, chasing more of that incredible feeling he had just experienced for the first time. Tim withdrew his finger again, leaving Armie feeling cold, empty… gaping. His heart was pounding in his chest and he was a bit out of breath. He had never had a sexual experience this intense, and they hadn’t even gotten to the main event yet.

“I think you are ready for me. Do you think you are ready for me, baby?” Tim asked softly. Armie nodded into the pillow, still recovering from Tim’s fingers. He felt the bed shudder as Tim got off to grab something. The next thing he knew, Tim was pushing a second pillow under his pelvis.

“I’m going to keep you on your stomach, if that’s okay. And this leverage will help, too.”

The pillow under his hips made Armie feel even more exposed, but he was way beyond caring about that. He spread his legs even further apart and looked over to where Tim stood a few feet away, his back to Armie, slightly hunched over. His stomach gave a tiny flip when he realized that Tim was putting on a condom.

This was really it. He was going to be fucked. By a man. By _Tim_. 

The thought should have scared him, but it didn’t. It excited him. He felt his cock grow heavy and his entire body was hot with anticipation. _He wanted this_. He had wanted this for so long, and he hadn’t been able to fully admit it to himself until now.

Tim turned, holding his sheathed, fully erect shaft with one hand and the bottle of lube with the other. He crawled between Armie’s legs, leaning down to kiss the tiny dimple at the top of Armie’s ass.

“God, you look so good, Armie. You have no fucking idea.”

Armie couldn’t even reply, his eagerness for what was about to happen combined with a sudden bout bashfulness silencing him. Tim squirted more lube into the fleshy gap between his thighs, using two fingers to rub it in and spread him open a bit more. Armie keened at the sensation… he was ready, he was ready, he was _so fucking ready_.

Armie wished that he could see what was happening behind him, but his body was on high alert to every slight move that Tim made. He withdrew his hand, and shifted his body between Armie’s legs. Armie arched his back, pushing his hips up just a few inches, wanting to show Tim how badly he wanted this. He heard Tim curse lightly under his breath ( _fuck, Armie)_ , then the next thing he felt was the soft, firm flesh of the tip of Tim’s cock, pushing into him.

Tim pressed in gently, but persistently, his shaft slipping into Armie slowly, centimeter by centimeter. He paused frequently, giving Armie time to adjust, checking in with him. Armie could only nod, his face buried in the pillow, his brain fuzzy from all the new sensations he was feeling: adjusting to the width of Tim’s cock, adjusting to the knowledge that Tim was burrowing into him, adjusting to the fact that there was _no going back_.

He felt no pain, only some discomfort at first, but he breathed through it as he had with Tim’s fingers, and before he knew it, Tim was leaning down, whispering into his ear, “That’s all of me; you did it, baby.”

Tim sucked on Armie’s neck, and Armie felt so unbelievably connected to him. Tim’s chest pressed against his back, and his cock was buried so deep inside of Armie, it was touching places that had never before had contact with another human, places even Tim’s long fingers could not reach.

Tim thrust softly into him, testing Armie’s reaction. Armie couldn’t stop a low moan from escaping his throat. The sensation was still a bit uncomfortable, but also undeniably erotic and Armie wanted _more_. He pressed back with his hips, signaling Tim to keep going.

Tim sat up so he was kneeling behind Armie, adjusting himself to a more comfortable angle. He started to rock in and out of Armie at a slow, steady pace. And it was good for Armie, really good. And then, it felt… incredible. This warm sensation, so deep inside of him, like a match had been struck. It was a small flame at first, but was building and growing, catching everything in its path on fire. The heat spreading to Armie's belly, down each limb, through his pelvis. His cock was growing hard again, then throbbing with need. Soon, his entire body was burning as Tim pounded into him, chasing his own needs.

Armie slipped a hand underneath him, desperately needing to touch himself. The pillow was in the way, but Tim noticed and pulled Armie up to his chest, so that he was kneeling in front of him. Armie’s hand immediately flew to grab his cock, flying over it in a blur of movement.

“Are you close, baby? I’m really close. You feel so good, I can’t wait much longer…” Tim gasped into Armie’s neck.

Armie finally found his voice, rasping, “I’m… I’m close, too.” 

Tim thrust into him at a punishing speed, and Armie felt like there was a gathering storm inside of him, growing and spreading until he could no longer contain it. His orgasm hit him like an 18-wheel truck, come shooting out of him with a force he’d never experienced before. Tim came seconds later, his arms tight around Armie’s chest, holding him in place through his own release.

They stayed like that for several seconds, Tim’s hot breath on Armie’s sweaty shoulder, each of them slowly coming back down to earth. Tim muttered appreciative accolades into Armie’s ear, letting him know how well he did. Armie barely heard him, so overwhelmed with what he had just experienced, by the strength and intensity of his orgasm, and by the emotional connection he was feeling to Tim at that moment.

They cleaned up soon after, quiet and lost in their own thoughts. They fell back onto Tim’s bed, naked, and a feeling of vulnerability suddenly crashed over Armie. Tim seemed to somehow sense this, and he held out his arms for Armie to crawl into. As they started to nod of with their bodies intertwined, Armie was awash in an undeniable sense of home and he knew that there was no going back to his old life.


	17. seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie and Tim get closer; Liz throws another wrench into their plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a few chapters left of this story! This isn't my favorite chapter, but it is needed to get us to where we are going.
> 
> Thank you, my readers, as always for your incredible support and wonderful comments. xoxox

seventeen

**Armie**

Armie woke first from his and Tim’s post-sex nap a few hours later, but couldn’t reach his phone to check the time. The sun was still high in the sky; he guessed it to be sometime in the early evening, perhaps around 5pm. Tim had rolled away from him and was sprawled naked on his stomach, snoring lightly. Armie watched him sleep for several moments, wanting a few quiet moments to think about what they had done earlier. The dull ache throbbing between his legs was a reminder to him, as well.

_Do I feel different?_ He hadn’t asked himself that question his first time with Tim, when he topped. But it really _was_ different this time. He felt… changed. He also recognized that his feelings for Tim were transforming, as well. Becoming deeper, more intense. Like, right now--he watched Tim sleep, and he wanted to wake him just to kiss him, to thank him, to tell him about these thoughts he was having. Never, _ever_ in the ten years he had been with Liz had he longed to wake her just to see her eyes open, to watch her smile, to hear her speak. But that is all he wanted to do with Tim.

He had to finally admit the words that were beating in his heart, to give a name to the feelings that had been building and growing since the first time Tim had come over for dinner: he was in love with Tim. And not even _falling_ in love. No, he was there already: sprawled spread-eagle, deep in a giant vat of head-over-heels love. And here he was, having this great revelation, just hours after he had promised his estranged-wife that they could fake a happy marriage for an undetermined amount of time.

Armie was just starting to attempt to wrap his brain around how he could fix this colossal mistake when Tim began to stir. He lifted his chin, turned his head, and… there it was. That smile. Tim beamed at Armie like there was no sight in the world he would rather wake to.

“You’re here. I was worried that would go back to your place,” he said, his voice gravelly with sleep.

Armie scooted down on the bed to lie facing him, meeting Tim’s green eyes.

“Why would I leave? I told you, I’ll stay here with you if you’ll have me. I wouldn’t go without telling you.”

Armie pressed a soft kiss on Tim’s lips, then Tim laid his head on Armie’s chest.

“So, you’ll stay here for a while? For real?”

“I think that would be for the best. I can’t imagine trying to share a space with Liz right now. I just need to go home tomorrow and get clothes and some other stuff. In the meantime, I’m starving. Should we order something for dinner? Your choice.”

They decided to order some Chinese and settled in to watch movies for the night, shutting out the real world for a few hours. Armie thankfully didn’t hear from Liz at all, but he knew that another confrontation soon was inevitable. He had to stand up for himself.

*****

Armie returned to his apartment the next morning to get clothing and toiletries for the week. He had texted Liz to let her know that he would be coming, hoping perhaps they could talk, but she hadn’t replied. He turned the key and started to open the front door of his apartment when he heard the sound of female voices arguing. He froze to listen.

Liz’s shrill words seemed to vibrate through the air. “I never promised you anything, Lily. I’m sorry if you got the wrong impression, but…”

“I never expected anything from you,” Lily’s French lilt cut her off, louder that Armie had ever heard her speak before, “except maybe to be treated like a _fucking human being_ , Liz.”

“Oh, don’t be a drama queen, Lily. I gave you an amazing opportunity, and we had some fun. I’m sorry if you thought it was more than that.”

Armie rattled his keys and cleared his throat so the women knew he was coming in. Their voices stopped as Armie entered the room, and he saw that they were at a stand-off just outside the master bedroom. Lily had her suitcase and a few other bags at her feet, as if she were in the process of leaving.

“Sorry to interrupt. I’m, uh, I just need to get a few things.”

Lily glared at Liz as she answered Armie. “Looks like Liz is going to get what she wants: the entire Hammer suite to herself.”

Armie couldn’t deal with this right now. He didn’t answer and went to the bedroom to throw some things into a duffle bag--enough clothes to get him through a few days of work, his toiletries, his laptop. When he left the bedroom, Liz was sitting at the dining room table with a cup of coffee looking peeved and Lily was staring out the window. It was apparent that they were waiting for Armie to leave to finish their argument.

“I’ll call you in a few days,” he said to Liz. She lifted her mug in answer, not bothering to even look in Armie’s direction, and he rushed out the door, happy to have that scene behind him.

Once he was out in the hallway, he realized how little Liz seemed to care that he was going to stay with Tim, or that their marriage was ending. _Had she ever loved me?_ he wondered. _And did I ever really love her?_

He hurried down the hall to get back to Tim.

**Tim**

Tim worried, as he always did when he knew that Armie would be seeing Liz, that he would somehow fall back into her clutches in the short time he was with her. That this wonderful, tenuous thing that had just started between them would end with Liz crooking her finger at Armie, and Armie dropping Tim like a hot potato and returning to her, leaving Tim behind.

So far, that hadn’t happened. If anything, Armie seemed more enamored with Tim than ever before. Tim could see it in the way his eyes lit up when Armie gazed at him, and in gentle tone he used when he spoke to him. Not to mention the fact that he had trusted Tim with the single most intimate act one man could do with another. Tim’s entire body hummed with the memory of what they had done the night before--of pressing into Armie and being fully enveloped inside the heat of him. Tim rarely topped during sex in the past, and the fact that Armie wanted that with him, had allowed himself to be so vulnerable with Tim… it gave Tim a rush of emotions that he had honestly never felt towards another person before in his life. 

Now Armie was going to his apartment to get some of his belongings, to actually stay with Tim. They would more or less be living together. And unlike the feelings of intense claustrophobia that Tim experienced from having Lily live with him, the thought of sharing a bed and a home with Armie was exciting… like he was starting a new chapter in his life that he had not even known that he was waiting to begin. 

But then his mind began to play tricks on him again. _Unless_ , Tim’s mind unhelpfully offered… _unless Armie went to get his things and Liz somehow convinced him to stay, to work on their marriage more, or at least keep living under the same roof to try and make their sham-relationship more believable_. Tim’s brain began going a million miles a minutes, thinking of all the persuasive things Liz could be saying to Armie at that very moment, making him believe that staying with her would be for the best.

Tim stood up and began pacing around his small apartment. Armie had only been gone for a half-hour, but it felt like eternity. When would he be back?

Just as Tim had convinced himself that at any moment he would be getting a text from Armie telling Tim that he wouldn’t be returning, a knock sounded at his door. Tim practically sprinted to open it, and there was Armie, looking a little shaken, but holding his duffle bag and a garment bag.

“Oh thank god,” Tim breathed out.

Armie leaned down to kiss him softly. “What’s wrong?” he asked, as he squeezed past Tim to go inside.

Tim shook his head, embarrassed. “Nothing. I just… I was starting to worry. Assuming the worst.”

Armie chuckled softly. “Tim, I was gone less than an hour. What did you think happened to me?”

Tim frowned. “Liz. I thought maybe Liz had happened.”

Armie went into the bedroom to put his things down, then came out and took Tim’s hands in his own.

“Babe, look at me. Liz and I are _over_. The more time that passes, the more I see her true colors, and the more I realize that I can never go back to that. Even if you and I for some reason don’t work out, I won’t ever go back to her. Our marriage is done.”

Tim breathed a sigh of relief. Armie pulled him into his arms and held him, wanting Tim to feel safe and secure with him. Needing Tim to trust him.

Tim let himself be held for several seconds, then pulled back to look at Armie. He felt a sudden rush of emotion at the tenderness in Armie’s eyes, and before he knew what he was doing, he blurted out, “I love you, Armie.”

He bit his lip, shocked that he had let these words fall from his lips. He had never told someone outside his family that he had loved them before, not even Lily. He held his breath, waiting for Armie’s response, terrified that he would scare him off. But Armie’s eyes grew even softer, and he whispered in reply, “I love you, too, Tim.”

And they both stood holding each other, absorbing the depth of what had just transpired. They didn’t speak, but Tim felt comfortable with that. They had each said what needed to be said.

A few minutes later, Armie pulled away. “Come on, let’s make some lunch. Also, I think I need a key. Let’s walk to the hardware store this afternoon and make one.”

Tim followed Armie into the kitchen, his heart full. “Sounds like a great plan.”

*****

Over the next few days, the men got used to living in the same space. Armie had a regular work schedule and would usually be getting ready for his day just as Tim was waking. Tim got into the habit of getting up while Armie showered to make him coffee and sometimes fix him some toast or a bagel. They would sit and talk for a few minutes before Armie gave Tim a kiss and left for work. Tim would often return to bed after he left, depending on his day, or get up to get ready for class or an audition, or to go to the store to shop for that night’s dinner. Each night, they would take turns cooking. Armie would use Tim’s small balcony grill to cook some steaks or chicken, or Tim would whip up a family recipe. Then they would watch movies on Tim’s tiny couch, Tim’s legs sprawled over Armie, or have drinks and just talk.

It was the happiest Tim had been since moving back to New York, so of course it couldn’t last.

Armie went to meet with Liz one night after work, vowing to Tim that he would bring up the future of their “marriage,” and discuss when they would finally start telling friends and family that they were splitting. He promised that he would be strong and not give in to Liz’s pressure to keep up the charade of a relationship.

Armie returned less than an hour later, a frown marring his face. Tim’s heart dropped as Armie fell onto the couch next to him.

“What happened?” Tim asked, afraid of the answer.

Armie let his head fall to the back of the couch.

“Next week is our yearly fundraising gala in Los Angeles. I had thought that I would go alone this year, just to make things simpler. But Liz is insisting that she go with me. She said that if I go alone, which I have never done in the last ten years, people would start to wonder and ask questions, and that would take away from the focus of the night.” He sighed in frustration. “I have to admit, she has a point.”

Tim sat for a moment, absorbing this, trying to understand. “So… you’re going to go to LA with Liz next week? For how long?” He had known this gala was coming, but had thought very little about it.

“I need to fly in on Wednesday; Liz would probably fly in on Thursday to help with some last minute planning. The gala is Friday night at the Hammer Museum. I would return Sunday.”

Tim started to chew on a hangnail, all his past insecurities bubbling to the surface. Armie noticed his reaction, and pulled him in to hold him.

“Tim, please don’t let this bother you. I promise this will be the last public appearance for us. It just isn’t the time to make a big announcement, right before this fundraiser. But it will happen soon, you have my word.”

Tim felt helpless, stuck. He really had no say in the matter--even if he disagreed with Armie’s decision, it was not his business. He said nothing and sunk into the couch, trying not to pout.

Armie wrapped his strong arms around Tim’s slight shoulders. “I’ll make it up to you, baby. I promise,” he whispered.

And what choice did Tim have, but to go along with it.


	18. eighteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz insists on going to LA with Armie: Timmy reacts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally thought that I could wrap up this fic in one chapter. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! So, no. BUT... I think maybe two more chapters after this. We are nearing the end of this journey, for sure. Enjoy! Thank you to all my readers for your patience. I know it has been a hot minute since I updated this fic. I will be alternating between this fic and I Knew Him When until this fic is completed. 
> 
> Thank you all for your support, for every Kudos and especially comments! xoxoxo

eighteen

Tim

Tim existed for the next week more or less in a bubble of domestic bliss. Armie had basically moved into his apartment, and Tim, when he wasn’t in class or at an audition, worked on making his place look nice, or on finding recipes to try out for him and Armie to have for dinner. He felt like a 1950’s housewife and he had to admit that he was kind-of loving it. Armie would come home around 6 every night, looking like a modern-day Don Draper, and Tim would greet him with a kiss or sometimes a blowjob, then pour him a glass of wine. They would have dinner on Tim’s small balcony and at some point after they ate, Armie would have Tim bent over the balcony railing or Tim would have Armie on his knees on the bed.

Tim thought that he would never tire of this, and wondered how the hell Liz had strayed. But then he would remember that Armie and Liz never had what he and Armie shared. Or at least that is what Armie said, again and again.

The only dark cloud during this happy time was Armie’s continued connection to Liz. They were still married, of course, and had to keep up the charade of a happy relationship to the outside world for the moment. Every few days, Armie needed to check back with her at his apartment--to talk about their plans for the gala, to pay bills, or discuss issues with the apartment, like when the garbage disposal got backed up and Armie had to unclog it.

Each time Armie would need to go to the apartment to see Liz, Tim would wait for Armie to return with a knot in his stomach. He was sure that Armie would return and announce some new wrench that Liz had thrown into their plans… and she often did try. First, she wanted to feature Armie in a photo shoot on her blog to promote the Hammer Foundation and gala. A few days later, a couple that they knew from Armie’s work wanted to have dinner with them one night and she practically begged him to go. Then she tried to insist that she fly to Los Angeles with Armie on Wednesday, rather than Thursday, telling him that the director of the gala really needed her help.

To Tim’s intense relief, Armie stood up to her each and every time, telling her no. He would return to Tim’s apartment after each visit, sometimes annoyed, often furious.

“I’m at the end of my rope with her, Tim,” he grumbled. “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through this trip to Los Angeles without losing my cool.”

Tim would hold his tongue, wanting to shake Armie and implore him to break it off with Liz completely but knowing that it was not his place. He longed to beg Armie to stop this ridiculous charade, both now in New York and when they were to be in California. But Armie had made a promise to her, and Tim decided that it was best to not get involved in their weird dynamic. He had told Armie that he could be patient and he was determined to try. Or at least _pretend_ that he was being patient, while internally screaming. Just a few more days…

The Monday before the gala, Armie came home from work in a good mood. He threw down his laptop bag and called out, “Honey, I’m home!” He found Tim in the kitchen, cooking some stir-fry.

“Mmm, smells good. What is it?” he asked, wrapping his long arms around Tim from behind and lightly kissing his neck.

Tim giggled. “That tickles. You need to shave. And it’s garlic tofu and eggplant.”

Armie wrinkled his nose, leaning against the kitchen counter. “Tofu and eggplant? Babe, you don’t live with Lily anymore. We can eat real food now.”

Tim swatted Armie with the spoon. “This _is_ real food. Don’t knock it until you try it. You eat way too much red meat. I don’t want you keeling over at 50 from a heart attack.”

Armie crossed his arms, regarding Tim with an arched eyebrow. “You think you’re still going to want me around by the time I’m 50? You’ll be sick of me by then.”

Tim glanced up from this sizzling pan with an adoring smile. “Never.” And he meant it. He could not fathom ever getting sick of the smart, beautiful man standing beside him. “Now go put on your comfy clothes. We’re eating in ten minutes.”

Armie leaned down to give him a quick peck on the cheek and headed to the bedroom, calling out, “I love it when you’re bossy,” as he exited, leaving his grinning boyfriend behind.

The boys were enjoying some wine after dinner when Armie set down his glass and looked at Tim with a serious expression.

“So, Liz called me at work today,” he started. Tim froze; he knew that tone of voice. Liz had crossed some line again.

“What did she want this time?” Tim asked carefully, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

“She is trying to insist that we share a hotel room in Los Angeles. She says that people will notice if we have separate rooms somehow. I told her that that is ridiculous. No one is going to be following us back to our rooms to check up on us.”

Tim’s sighed. Liz’s manipulations were really starting to exhaust him. “Did she listen?”

Armie shook his head. “She threatened to cancel her room. I told her that if she does that, I will go to the gala alone. I told her that I’ve had it with her, and if she tries one more thing, I will tell my family before the gala that we are separated and face whatever repercussions there are.”

Tim was impressed. This was the harshest that Armie had ever been with her. “Really? And how did she take _that_?”

Armie scoffed bitterly. “She was pissed, but she let it drop. I think she finally could sense that I’ve had it with her. I’m hoping she backs off until the gala.” He gave a heavy sigh. “Just a few more days.”

He turned back to look at Tim. His face was anguished. “I’m sorry that you’ve had to put up with all this. You don’t deserve getting stuck with someone with so much emotional baggage. I promise that after this trip is over, I will make a clean break from Liz and we can start fresh, just the two of us.”

Tim took Armie’s huge hands in his own. “Armie, I knew what I was getting myself into when you came to stay here. If you can hold on a few more days, I can, too.” 

Armie gave Tim a soft, grateful smile, then pulled him up out of his chair, to the bedroom, then slowly peeled off his clothes to make love to him.

*****

  
Tim blinked and it was Wednesday morning; Armie was on a noon flight that day to Los Angeles. Tim’s heart hurt, knowing that Armie was going to be gone for five days, and for most of those he would be with Liz. But Tim trusted his boyfriend, and as difficult as it was to say goodbye, he knew that he would be okay. Plus, he had a callback audition that afternoon for a lead role in an off-Broadway play; he needed to focus on preparing for that.

Tim sat on their bed, watching as Armie hung his suits and tuxedo in a garment bag.

“Will I ever get to see you in that?” Tim asked dejectedly, pointing at Armie’s black Armani tux.

Armie zipped up the bag, then turned to face Tim. He was trying to hide his feelings from Tim, not wanting to feed into his boyfriend’s gloomy mood. “Tim, I’d give anything to be packing you a tux next to mine right now. But we have years ahead of us, and there will be so many opportunities for us to dress up in our monkey suits together. And I cannot _wait_ for the day that I can bring you as my date to a black tie event. You are going to look so incredible in a tux.” He leaned down and planted a tender kiss on the top of Tim’s head.

Tim sat silently. He wanted to share Armie’s vision of their future, but at the moment, he couldn’t get past his fears of the next few days. He felt like he was sending Armie directly into the wolf’s den.

Armie’s cell phone vibrated--his Uber had arrived to take him to the airport. He looked down at Tim with a reassuring smile. “I have to go now, but it’s going to be okay, Tim. It’s all going to be okay.”

Tim walked him to the door and Armie swallowed his body whole in a bear hug. “I’ll call you as soon as I land. And good luck on your audition today. You’re going to kill it. I’ll miss you, babe. I love you.”

Tim blinked away the threat of tears that prickled his eyes. He didn’t want the last thing Armie saw to be him crying. “Thanks. I love you, too,” he choked out.

Armie gave him a soft peck goodbye, then disappeared down the hall to catch the elevator. Tim sighed… five days. He could do this.

*****

Tim luckily had his second audition for the role of Charlie in the play Admissions that afternoon to keep his mind distracted from missing Armie. He had been studying his lines all week and he felt prepared, but his nerves were starting to get the best of him. He choked down a sandwich for lunch, then (mostly unsuccessfully) attempted to meditate to calm his growing anxiety. He resisted checking his phone; Armie wasn’t due to land until after the audition.

The afternoon crawled by, then it was time for him to head to the theater. He read several texts from his parents, Will, and his sister wishing him luck. He took a deep breath, cleared his head of everything but his character, turned off his phone, and headed in.

Tim left two hours later, feeling good about his performance. He would not find out until next week if he had gotten the coveted part, so he had nothing to do now except wait. He turned his phone back on as soon as he was on the sidewalk, hoping for a text from Armie. Sure enough, as soon as his phone blinked to life, several messages from him filled the screen.

_Just landed. Good luck this afternoon._

_You’re in the audition right now, blowing the director away, I am sure. Thinking of you. Call me as soon as you’re done._

_Miss you already. I’d give anything to have you here._

_I love you, Tim. Already counting down the days until I see you again._

Tim melted a bit with each message he read. He knew that Armie was an open, emotional person, but seeing his feelings laid out of Tim’s cell phone screen almost broke his heart. Fuck, he really loved this man so much. Why did it take him flying 3000 miles away for Tim to realize the depth of his feelings? God, he was a dumbass.

He tapped Armie’s contact name to call; Armie picked up on the first ring.

“Hey, babe. How did the audition go?”

Tim smiled into his phone as he navigated the crowded sidewalk back to his apartment.

“Good. At least I think it did. It’s hard to know exactly what the director is looking for, but I felt like it went well.”

There was a pause on the other end, and Tim guessed that Armie was grinning, as well.

“That’s great, Tim. I bet you get it.”

“Don’t jinx it! How was your flight? Are you at the hotel?”

“It was fine. I watched Reservoir Dogs then fell asleep. Yeah, I’m at the hotel now. I’m having dinner at the Palm tonight with the Robert and Merrill. They’re the main gala organizers. Then I’m meeting some of my friends for drinks after dinner. I wish I had more time to see all of them,” he added wistfully. “Then tomorrow we will all meet at the museum to go over last minute details and the financials. All the boring stuff no one else wants to deal with. Liz gets in tomorrow afternoon.”

Tim’s stomach lurched at the mention of Liz’s name. He tried to keep his voice casual when he replied. “Oh, that sounds great. So you’ll see her tomorrow night?” He heard his voice crack the slightest bit at the end of the question.

“Yes, you know I have to, Tim. We’ll all go to dinner, and then she’ll help with getting the venue ready on Friday.”

“And she’ll be your date to the gala.”

He heard Armie sigh on the other end of the line. Tim had gotten to his building and was standing under the overhang out front to finish the conversation.

“Tim… please. It’s all business. That’s it. You have to trust me.”

“I do, Armie. I just don’t trust her.” He paused for a moment, then had to ask, “Are you going to tell your friends about you and Liz? And me?”

“Not yet, Tim. I can’t tell anyone until we make it official.” Tim knew that that would be the answer, but it still sent a shiver of something that felt like rejection down his spine.

They hung up soon after that, with Armie promising Tim to call him before bed that night.

*****

Tim’s phone buzzed at 2am with an incoming Facetime call. He grabbed his phone quickly, knowing it must be Armie, most likely inebriated. Tim grinned to himself—Armie was an amorous drunk, so his video calls were usually quite entertaining, even when Tim was half-asleep. He turned on the light, shielding his eyes from the sudden glare, and accepted the call. Armie’s blurry face appeared on his screen.

“Hey baby, did I wake you?” Armie’ voice was gravelly and slurred. Yes, was definitely wasted.

Tim yawned. “Yeah, but that’s ok. It’s good to see your face. How was the night out with your friends?”

Armie didn’t answer at first; he blinked several times, as if focusing his vision.

“Fuck, you are so pretty,” he finally drawled. “I wish I was there. I’d fucking tear you apart.”

Tim chuckled at that. Armie had no filter after a few drinks. “I wish you were here, too. So, you had fun?”

Armie nodded into the screen. “I, uh… I told them about us, babe.”

Tim almost dropped his phone. “What? Why did you do that? I thought that you were going to wait until you and Liz went public!”

Armie’s face disappeared from the screen for a moment, as if his head were lolling backward, then reappeared. “I know but… they’re my best friends. I just… I had to tell them. They knew something was up. They asked about Liz and they just, I don’t know… they knew.”

Tim took a deep inhale and let this register. If Armie was okay with his friends knowing, then why should he care, right?

“So, what did they say?”

“They were shocked. Well, Tyler wasn’t, but I think Ash and Nick were. Ash was being a bit of a dick about it, but fuck him. It took Niki a minute to get used to the idea, but he seems cool with it now. I think. They want to meet you.” He licked his lips and brought the phone closer to his face. “God, I miss you. Will you show me your dick?”

Tim snorted. “Well, that was a topic shift! I’m still getting used to the fact that you told your best friends about our relationship, Armie. Can you give me a minute?”

Armie’s face fell. “Sorry. I’m a bit buzzed. And god, Tim, I just wish you were flying in tomorrow instead of Liz. I am such an asshole. Why didn’t I stand up to her?”

_Good question,_ Tim thought, but he kept that notion to himself. Armie’s eyes were drooping with sleepiness and intoxication. Tim knew he had an early morning, so he decided to be the responsible one for once and make sure Armie got a good night sleep.

“It’s okay, Armie. I’ll see you in just a few days. Now, drink some water and go to bed, okay? And call me tomorrow afternoon when you get a chance. I love you.”

“Love you, too, babe. You can show me your dick tomorrow. Okay? Promise?”

Tim laughed. “Yes, I promise. Now go to sleep.”

Tim hung up and felt the happy warmth that talking to Armie always gave him tunnel through his entire body. Yes, Armie was across the country, but he loved him, and that was enough for now.

*****

The next day, Tim had plans to meet Pauline for breakfast before she returned to Paris that afternoon. He was eager to have the diversion; the hours had slowed to a crawl in Armie’s absence. It was Thursday, the afternoon that Liz was due to arrive in Los Angeles, and Tim was having a difficult time getting that fact out of mind. He felt like his brain was on a loop of “Armie and Liz. Liz and Armie.” He tried to shake off the repetitive thought again and again, but his mind always seemed to return to it.

He arrived at his favorite diner before Pauline and ordered two espressos. She flew through the door a few minute after, late and frazzled as she often was. She pulled her baby brother out of his seat and into a tight hug. Tim hadn’t seen her since the fateful night the week before when she had walked in on him and Armie, but they had texted several times. From that, she knew that Armie had left his wife and basically moved in, and that they would be in Los Angeles together this week.

Pauline settled into the booth and took a long sip of her espresso. “Mmm, good. So, how are you holding up? Have you talked much to Armie?”

Tim filled her in on the last few days, all the sweet details making her smile. “And then he Facetimed me last night, shit-faced, after a night out with all his LA friends. And he told them, Pauline! About us, and him leaving Liz! Everything!”

Pauline’s jaw dropped. “Oh damn. Well, that’s a good sign, right? I hope so, because I have something else I need to tell you….”

Tim looked up sharply, his stomach dropping at the serious expression on her face. “What?”

Pauline sank back in her seat. “Ok, so I know you trust Armie, and it sounds like he really cares for you.” She paused.

Tim sat up, alarmed. “But… what? Fuck, Pauline, tell me!”

She put up a hand to calm him down. “Ok, ok. So, Lily called me late last night. You know we’re friends, sort of, and she is getting ready to move back to London in a few days. So, anyway--she called and told me that even though she is still upset with you, she wanted you to know… Liz had told her that she was planning on using the time in LA to get back with Armie. She didn’t know how exactly, but that that is her plan. She said that her exact words were ‘I’ll have my husband back in my bed by the end of the trip.’ So, I don’t know what you want to do with that information, Tim, but I just wanted you to know where Liz’s head is at.”

Tim could do nothing but gawk at her for several seconds, shaking his head in disbelief. Then he took a deep breath, determination on his face, and pulled out his phone. “I’m going, Pauline. I don’t know how I’m going to fucking pay for it, but I’m getting a ticket and flying to LA. Today.”

Pauline nodded. “I can lend you some money. I’m sorry, baby brother. I don’t blame you at all. Go get your man.”


	19. nineteen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie leaves for Los Angeles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter represents me finally breaking past my paparazzi-induced writer's block, so I am very proud to have finished it. Hopefully you all enjoy the fruits of my labor!
> 
> I appreciate each of you, and each Kudos and comment so much! xoxo

nineteen

**Armie**

Armie focused on keeping his mind off of Tim for the duration of his Uber ride, then the five-hour plane trip to Los Angeles. Fortunately, he had plenty of work that needed to be done for the Gala to keep himself distracted. He had numbers to crunch, emails to reply to, reservations to make. He got his work done in the first few hours, then was able to enjoy a viewing of Reservoir Dogs and a quick nap. Tim always lingered at the back of his mind, but time went by quickly.

In LA, as soon as the jet’s wheels hit the runway, Armie turned on his phone to text Tim. He glanced at the time and a quick calculation of the time difference told him that Tim was most likely in his audition at that very moment. He pictured Tim up on some stage, his heart on his sleeve, performing his ass off. Armie had never seen Tim act, and the thought of going to see his boyfriend perform tugged at his heart. He realized that he would probably be more nervous than Tim, if he were ever to go see him on stage. And he would be so, so proud. He hoped that it would happen soon.

Armie deboarded, grabbed his luggage, and found his waiting towncar outside the terminal. He was in Los Angeles now, a member of the esteemed Hammer family… there would be no Ubers for him while he was there. Only the best for Armie Hammer. He rolled his eyes at the thought.

Armie leaned back and watched the streets of LA pass by his car window. He always experienced a very specific set of emotions whenever he was back in LA. Nostalgia mixed with a bit of anxiety. A pressure to always put his best face forward, along with the suspicion that his best was never quite enough. It was a pressure that he rarely felt in New York, far from his family and his past. Except, he realized with a start, when he was with Liz. It dawned on him that Liz stood for everything he had been trying to escape when he moved to New York, and yet he had brought her with him. Tying him inescapably to those feelings. No wonder he never felt comfortable or content, even after the move. The fact that he had been living a lie all his life just deepened his self-loathing.

_Well, I finally did it,_ he thought with relief _. I cut those ties, and I am pursuing an authentic, happy life. FINALLY._

_Except,_ another voice chided him, _you are still living that same lie. You are here with your family, and instead of being honest, telling them who you are and who you love, you continue to present a fiction as reality._

A pit appeared in Armie’s stomach as he grappled with his personal hypocrisy. He knew that it was too late to do anything about it now. He promised himself again that as soon as the Gala was over, he would finally be honest with his parents.

*****

Armie checked into the W hotel in Westwood, ordered a sandwich from room service, then opened his laptop to get some work done. He had a dinner meeting in a few hours with the Gala organizers, which was fine. That was why he was there. But he was counting the hours until he met up with his best friends, Nick, Tyler, and Ashton for drinks. He hadn’t seen any of them since he and Liz had made the move to Manhattan and he missed them all fiercely.

He had always had honest relationships with his friends, but he had already decided that he would keep his and Liz’s split (and his new relationship with a man) private until after Friday’s Gala. He just needed to keep things compartmentalized in his life for a few more days. He would somehow get through the fundraiser with Liz by his side, but then on Saturday, he would sit down with his dad, and then his mom, and tell them everything. After those two conversations, telling his friends would be a walk in the park.

Armie enjoyed a steak dinner and a few martinis at the Palm, hammering out last minute details with the Gala organizers from the Hammer museum. He liked them both, and the dinner was _fine_ , but as Armie left the restaurant and got into the waiting towncar, a wave of excitement surged through his body at seeing his friends. He needed to cut loose with the humans that knew him best. 

Classic rock was blasting at Davey Wayne’s when Armie arrived just before midnight. Nick had texted that they had a booth in the back, so he made his way through the boisterous crowd to the rear of the bar. A chorus of “Arms! Hey! You made it!” cut through the din of the bar as he walked up to his friends’ table, grinning so hard he could feel his cheeks stretch.

“Sally! Three more shots!” Ash yelled to the waitress as Armie gave each man a tight hug before he squeezed into the booth.

The men toasted to Armie’s return and ordered more shots. Tyler, who didn’t drink, looked on with amusement as his friends got progressively drunker.

The second then a third round of shots arrived, and Armie yelled a toast over the din of the bar, “Another day, another bender. No retreat, no surrender!” The friends cheered and downed their drinks.

Tyler pulled Armie close with one arm and yelled into his ear, “I’ve missed you so much, man. I hope things are okay in New York.” Tyler was the one friend who Armie had opened up to about his issues with Liz, but it had been a few months since they had talked about it.

Armie gave a smile and nod. “I miss all this and all of you, so much. But things are alright.”

Fortunately, the conversation moved on to other topics quickly, giving Armie a reprieve from having to continue being dishonest with his friend.

Several drinks and a few Karaoke songs later, the bar was closing and the waitress informed the men that it was time to go. Tyler wrangled his friends, herding them to the exit so he could drive Ash and Nick home. As soon as they were outside, Armie and Nick lit up cigarettes and they huddled in a circle to chat.

“So, how’s Liz? How are things with you two?” Ashton asked.

Armie didn’t answer right away. He was quite drunk, and his brain felt fuzzy. His mind for some reason wandered to Tim, and he had to work to re-focus instead on what would be an acceptable answer about Liz. Tyler noticed his long hesitation and pounced.

“Is something wrong? You can tell us, Arms. We love you.”

At that, the other two men chimed in. “Dude, you can tell us. We are here for you, Armie. What is it? What’s going on with you two?”

Armie felt bombarded by the sudden attention from his friends, and the part of him that really did want to confess everything suddenly broke under the intense scrutiny. He took a long drag of his cigarette, then blurted, “Liz and I are separated. But we are waiting to tell people until after the Gala. And…”

He stopped speaking, realizing that he absolutely should not discuss his relationship with Tim yet. _Fuck, why do I have such a big mouth when I am drinking?_

“And _WHAT_? Just spill it, Hammer. We are your best friends. You can tell us anything,” Nick implored.

And it was true. Their friendship went back years. If he couldn’t be honest with them, how was he ever going to be able to tell his parents? He took a deep breath and just said it.

“And… I am dating someone. His name is Tim and he lives in my building.”

The group fell silent and Armie immediately regretted telling them. It was too much, too soon. After several long seconds, Tyler spoke up. “Is it serious? Did you leave Liz for him?”

_In for a penny, in for a pound,_ Armie thought.

“Yes, it’s serious. I… I love him. And meeting him is what made me realize that I can’t be with Liz anymore, but he isn’t what made me leave her. _SHE_ is what made me leave her. It’s been a long time coming. I have been unhappy for years.” He decided to leave out the part where Liz was fucking Tim’s ex-girlfriend.

No one said anything for another moment, and the men shifted around the circle uncomfortably. But then Tyler pulled Armie in for a hug and the tension between the men broke.

“If you are happy with this Tim, then I happy for you, man. I’m here for you.”

Nick nodded slowly, as if he were struggling to process all this new information. “Wow. This is all just a lot to digest, Arms. I didn’t even know you were into guys… ”

Ash was the only one who looked upset. “I don’t give a fuck if you are seeing a guy. But isn’t it awfully fast to be moving on, Armie? Are you thinking with your dick, rather than brain? It just seems unfair to Liz.”

Armie bit his lip to keep from spouting a snarky retort about Liz. “She is fine, trust me. And yeah, it all happened really fast. But he is worth it. He is such an amazing guy. I really hope you’ll all get to meet him someday.”

Another silence filled the air, then Tyler spoke. “Well, I can’t wait to meet him, Arms. He sounds like a great guy.” Nick nodded and Ashton stood shrugged noncommittally, and suddenly Armie wanted nothing more than to talk to his boyfriend.

“Thanks, guys. I need to go. I’ll see you all tomorrow night,” he said, eager to get home and Facetime his sexy boyfriend.

*****

Armie woke up the next morning with a raging hangover--nasty headache, sour stomach, the works. He pulled himself out the cozy hotel bed and staggered to the bathroom to get some water and Ibuprophin. As he sat on the closed toilet seat sipping water, he struggled to remember all the events of the night before. The first thing that popped into his mind was Facetiming Tim at the very end of the night and asking to see his dick. _I’m such as asshole_ , he thought with a chuckle, although he knew, in all honestly, that Tim probably did not mind the request.

But then he remembered confessing to Nick, Ash and Tyler about his separation from Liz, and telling them about Tim. _Fuck._ He had not wanted to do that. But what was done was done, and they had been (mostly) supportive. Three people down, two people to go, Armie thought. Unfortunately, the next three people (Dru and Michael) would be much more difficult. But he could agonize over that Saturday, after the Gala.

Tim had sent him a text an hour ago that he was meeting Pauline for breakfast. Armie texted back-

_Tell Pauline hello from me, and tell her to have a safe trip back to Paris. I have a crazy busy day, so I will text you before I go to dinner. Love you xoxo_

He ordered some breakfast from room service, and opened up his laptop to start work. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told him that it was 8am… eight hours until Liz arrived. A knot of anxiety started to form in Armie’s stomach. He was absolutely dreading having to see her, and beginning the farce of a happy marriage for the next 48 hours. Could he even do it?

He sighed miserably. At this point, he really had no choice

*****

Armie struggled through his day that was packed with phone calls and emails, feeling incrementally better with each passing hour. He was busy and time went by quickly, and before he knew it, Liz was texting him that she had landed.

_Is it too early for a drink?_ he wondered when her name appeared on his phone They weren’t going to dinner until late that night; he honestly wasn’t sure if he could wait that long.

A second text came through from her:

_What is your room number? I have something being delivered and I am worried that it will arrive before I check in. I have to stop for a gown fitting before the dress shop closes. See you in a few hours._

Armie scowled with annoyance at Liz already inserting herself into his space, but sent off a text with his room number. Since he had his phone out, he decided to give Tim a call. When he didn’t answer, Armie hung up and tapped out a quick message:

_Liz hasn’t even arrived and she is already driving me crazy. Call me when you get a free moment. And maybe you can show me your dick today? :P_

He grinned at the bawdiness of his message, still a little embarrassed that he had asked to see Tim’s dick the previous night. He shut down his phone and crawled into bed for a quick power nap before he had to get ready for dinner. If he had to pretend to be happily married to Liz for the entire night, he better be well-rested.

Armie was woken a few hours later by the sound of someone knocking at his door. _Must be Liz’s delivery,_ he remembered, trying not to feel put out. _It’s not a big deal._

He pulled himself out of bed to answer the door, throwing on his boxers and a t-shirt from the floor. He looked through the peephole, but did not see anyone on the other side.

_How strange,_ he thought as he pulled open the door. And there, standing to the side with a small rolling suitcase, was Liz. She still had on her travel clothes; her hair was pulled into a high ponytail. Armie’s eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak.

“Hear me out! Please Armie!” she cried, cutting Armie off before he could say a word.

Armie sighed and opened the door wider to let her in.

*****

“Sorry the place is a mess. I wasn’t expecting visitors,” Armie apologized sullenly as Liz followed him into his hotel room. “Can I get you a drink?”

“I’ll have vodka tonic, if you have it,” she replied, wheeling her small suitcase into the living room area of the suite then falling into an armchair.

Armie had no idea why Liz was in his room, but he figured that there we no way she was up to anything good. He decided to have a drink as well, and wait to hear what she had to say. He made her cocktail, then poured himself a generous glassful of whiskey. He perched on the arm of the couch and turned to her.

“So, can we make this quick? I need to get in the shower. What do you need?” He didn’t mean to sound so brusque, but her presence in his room was unsettling to him.

She threw Armie an annoyed look. “Why do I have to _need_ something? I am still your wife, remember. We are going to be spending the next three days playing happy couple, so I thought that we should game plan a little.”

Armie relaxed slightly. That explanation did actually make some sense. “Alright, fine. Is there anything in particular you want to discuss?”

Liz straightened in her chair, as if she meant business. “So,” she started stridently, and Armie felt a twinge of unease start to form in his gut. He knew that tone. “I have given this a lot of thought, and I have decided that it would best if I stayed here, in this room, with you.”

Armie stood up to object. “Liz, we have already been through this. No one is spying on us to see where we go to bed at night. I am not comfortable with sharing a room with you.”

Liz stood up then, striding over to Armie and wrapping her long fingers around his wrist. Armie stiffened at her touch and looked down at her hand.

“Armie, please. It isn’t just that. I want us to be together. It isn’t too late. I still love you and… will you look at me, please?”

Armie glanced up and her face was soft and pleading. If Armie had not known her so intimately, he might think that she was being sincere. But he knew Liz too well to think that this was anything other than part of some scheme. He yanked his wrist out of her grip.

He decided to try and give her the benefit of the doubt, even if he didn’t really believe it. He would let her down gently.

“I’m sorry, Liz. I will always love you, but I’ve moved on. You know that I am with Tim now, and I’m very happy. I’m not going to betray him by letting you stay here.”

The soft look on Liz’s face fell away, replaced by fury. “Oh, like the way you betrayed _ME,_ Armie? You will not deny me this. You will let me stay here with you, otherwise I am telling Dru and Michael about your little gay romance and then you will be finished. Cut off from the Hammer fortune. You know it and I know it.”

Armie stared at Liz in disbelief. Disbelief that he had once loved this terrible, manipulative person. Disbelief that he had let her control him for so long, up until and including this trip. And disbelief that he had agreed to a lie that she concocted rather than living his truth with the man he loved.

He had had enough.

He grabbed his phone and spun to stare her down. His face mirrored the anger he saw in hers. “Don’t bother. I am calling my father right now to tell him myself. I don’t give a fuck about the family fortune, or the repercussions. I have had enough of your manipulation, Liz. It’s over.”

He turned on his cell and started to scroll through his contacts to find his father’s number. Liz took a threatening step towards him. “You wouldn’t fucking dare, Armie,” she sneered.

Liz was reaching an arm towards Armie’s phone, ready to snatch it away, when a hard knock vibrated through door. They both froze in their place. Armie muttered, “Who the fuck is here now?”

He gave Liz one last glare, strode across the room, and opened the door to find the bell hop there with more of Liz’s luggage.

“Bags for Elizabeth Hammer?” Armie opened his mouth to reply, when another form suddenly stepped out from behind the luggage cart.

“Armie, is she here?” came a familiar, frantic voice.

Tim.

He was out of the breath, flustered, disheveled… but he was there.

“Tim. You’re here. Oh my god. You are fucking here.”

Armie pushed past the bell hop, grabbed his exhausted boyfriend, and pulled him into a hard, deep, grateful kiss. Maybe everything was going to be alright after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t forget to leave a comment if you liked the chapter! Xoxox


	20. twenty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim arrives in Los Angeles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I really thought that I could wrap things up in this chapter. Nope nope nope. One more chapter and then perhaps an epilogue. Probably.
> 
> Thank you, as always, to my incredible readers. You inspire me every day. Please don't forget to leave a comment if you like what you have read. Comments keep us writers going!
> 
> xoxo

twenty

**Tim**

Tim was luckily able to quickly secure a ticket for a JFK-to-LAX flight leaving early that afternoon. He was stuck in a middle seat but there was no way he could complain, especially since Pauline had agreed to pay for half his ticket. He kissed her goodbye at the diner, then rushed out of the door to the sound of her voice yelling, “Good luck!”

He had three hours until his flight. He ran home to take a shower and change into nicer clothes--he didn’t want to surprise Armie at his hotel room looking like a slob. He retrieved his old backpack from under his bed, threw in a change of clothing and his toiletries, called an Uber, and was out the door. He would be in Los Angeles by 5:20pm.

Once Tim was settled in his plane seat and in the air, the first seeds of doubt began to sprout in his brain. He realized that he had zero game plan once he was at Armie’s hotel. Furthermore, he had no idea how Armie would react to Tim just showing up there, disrupting his day. What if he was pissed? Would he tell Tim to go home? Ignore him completely? Could Tim possibly be jeopardizing his entire relationship for this silly stunt?

Tim cursed his emotional nature and his ridiculous impulsivity. _There’s nothing I can do about it now,_ he thought with a defeated sigh, and decided to try to catch a nap as the plane hurtled across the sky towards Los Angeles.

*****

Tim had only a single carry-on bag with him, so he was able to get off the plane and out of the airport in record time. He knew the name of Armie’s hotel, so with no other plan, he decided that he would first get himself there and _then_ figure out his next move. His rideshare car slowed to a crawl in the Thursday afternoon rush hour traffic, and Tim felt like he was going to crawl out of his skin. He nibbled on a cuticle and stared sightless out the car window.

An hour later, the car pulled up to the W Hotel. Tim’s heart pounded against his rib cage as he thanked the driver and headed inside. The hotel lobby was stark and modern, and was bustling with people. Tim looked around the massive space and realized that he had no other recourse--he was going to have to call Armie. He walked over to take a seat on a bench by the bell hop station, where he hoped it would be quieter.

Tim struggled to stop himself from drowning in regret at this very ill-advised trip. Now that he was in Los Angeles, he felt completely out of his element. This was Armie’s city, and he was there just taking care of his fucking business. Now Tim was going to bust into his evening like some jealous teenager. He felt foolish, but he couldn’t come all this way and NOT see Armie.

Tim took a deep breath to calm his nerves and took out his phone. He was turning it on when he heard the bell captain call to another bell hop, “Len, will you take these bags up to Mr. Hammer’s room? His wife just arrived this afternoon.”

Tim’s blood ran cold. _Why was Liz’s luggage being delivered to Armie’s room?_

The bell man grabbed the cart and began to push it in the direction of the elevator. Tim quickly stood up and followed, trying his best to seem as if he belonged. Both men entered the elevator and as the bell man pushed the number 12, he turned politely to Tim. “Floor?”

Tim swallowed and replied with fake nonchalance, “I’m going to 12, as well.” The man gave a quick nod and turned away without another word.

The elevator was empty besides the two men, so they arrived at Armie’s floor in seconds. Tim tried to steady his breathing, but he was terrified beyond words. Was he too late? Was Armie with Liz? Had he given in to her that easily? _What the hell was he about to walk into?_

Tim wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and braced himself. He was about to find out.

The bellhop exited the elevator and turned left. Tim paused, putting space between him and the man, not wanting to raise any suspicion. When he was sure that the employee was not paying him any attention, he set off down the hallway behind him. The man stopped the cart just a few doors down the hallway, paused to check the room number on a slip of paper, then knocked loudly on the door. Tim stopped directly behind him, turning towards the door across the hall from Armie’s room. He searched through his backpack, as if looking for his room key.

Armie’s hotel door opened and Tim heard Armie’s confused voice ask, “Can I help you?” followed by the bell hop announcing “Bags for Elizabeth Hammer.”

This was it--whatever the outcome, this was Tim’s moment. He spun away from door, his view of Armie blocked by the baggage cart. Before he could consider his words, his emotions took over and he cried out desperately, “Armie, is she here?”

He had to know the truth. He steeled himself for a negative reaction from Armie: anger, outrage, an annoyed reprimand. Instead, Armie was suddenly in front of him, saying his name then taking him in his arms… kissing away every doubt he had ever had about their relationship. Relief swept through Tim like a tidal wave as he tasted his boyfriend on his lips, and he melted into the kiss, finally allowing himself a sliver of hope that he had made the right decision by coming here.

*****

**Armie**

Tim and Armie kissed for only a few short seconds before they were interrupted by the bell hop clearing his throat. Armie reluctantly pulled away from his boyfriend, and turned to the man. 

“Those bags will be going to a different room. Will you please return them to the lobby? Thank you so much.” The bell man looked confused, but turned and returned back down the hall, pushing the cart towards the elevator.

Suddenly the sounds of heels clicking on the floor echoed through the interior of Armie’s suite. Armie muttered, “Fuck,” and before Tim had a chance to ask what was wrong, Liz had appeared in the doorway, stopping short at the unexpected sight of Tim wrapped in Armie’s arms.

She looked so utterly shocked to see him there, her mouth fell open like a drawbridge, but no words came out. Armie let go of Tim, turned to her, laying a gentle hand on her arm. He hoped to keep her calm but his touch seemed to have the opposite effect on her, instead enraging her. She violently shook off his hand and sputtered, “What the FUCK is _he_ doing here?”

Armie decided instantly that the needs of his boyfriend far outweighed the needs of his soon-to-be-ex-wife, and whatever he said or did had to protect Tim. To be honest, he did not know what Tim was doing there. But then again… he didn’t care. All the mattered was that he was there.

“He is here for me, Liz. He’s my boyfriend and I want him here.” He draped a protective arm around Tim, who had the look of a deer in headlights. “And now you have to go. I will call the front desk and arrange another room for you.”

Liz looked like she wanted to argue, but could not think of the words to say. After a moment, her eyes narrowed and she attempted a different angle to get to Armie. “Well, I think Michael and Dru are going to love hearing about your hotel roommate. I think I will give them a call once I’m settled into my new room.”

Armie shook his head at her. How had he stayed with this terrible person for ten years? “Don’t bother, Liz. I’m going to call them both tonight and meet with them tomorrow to tell them everything. _Everything._ ”

He hadn’t even consciously made the decision to do this, but as soon as the words left his mouth, he knew it was the right thing to do. He was ready to lay his chips on the table to his parents, and they could choose to accept him… or not. He considered this for a moment as Liz stewed, then another thought occurred to him.

“ _And_ if you want any right at all to the Hammer name when this is all over, Liz--for your blog and all your other future business endeavors--I suggest you keep your mouth shut and let me tell my own story in my own time. Do you understand?”

Liz tried to stare Armie down, but realized that she had no cards left to play. She was beat. Her body sagged and Armie knew she was done. He had one last pressing issue on his mind.

“I need you to go to the final planning dinner tonight and represent us. I’ve already met with the organizers, and all the financials and last minute details are pretty much in order. This dinner meeting is really just a formality. You do this for me, and let me talk to my parents on my own terms, and I will be fair in the divorce settlement.”

“And why should I trust you, Armie?” Liz practically spat out.

He pulled Tim close to him. “Because we have an airtight pre-nup, so you really have no choice if you want to see any financial compensation at all once our marriage is dissolved. Now, go get your things from my room and call me after the dinner tonight to tell me how it went. Good night, Liz.”

*****

After Armie had called the front desk to arrange a room for Liz, he turned to his shell-shocked boyfriend who had wordlessly watched everything with Liz unfold. He was sitting quietly on the suite couch, his backpack next to him, his eyes never leaving Armie. He still looked a bit terrified, but calmer than he had been when Liz was there.

Armie smiled at the sight of him, falling next to him on the couch.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he said in wonder, shaking his head.

“Are you mad?” Tim’s voice was cautious.

Armie didn’t answer right away, but grabbed Tim’s backpack and put it on the chair behind him. He pulled Tim flush against his body, and wrapped his arms around Tim’s shoulders in a tight hug.

“No, I’m not mad,” he answered, his lips brushing Tim’s neck. He took Tim’s face in both hand and kissed him as if to imprint the memory of his lips on Tim’s forever. After a minute, he pulled back to look into his boyfriend’s still-worried eyes.

“I never should have come here without you, Tim. I let myself get dragged into Liz’s lies because I was so used to being bulldozed by her. But I am learning to stand–up to her bullying. I am done with her bullshit, and I am done living a lie. I love _you,_ and I just want to be with _you_.”

Tim almost couldn’t believe the words coming out of Armie’s mouth. When he bought the plane ticket to Los Angeles, it was to stop Liz from seducing Armie. This was more than he could possibly have hoped for.

“Are you sure? It’s a big risk, Armie. What if your parents cut you off?”

Armie stood up, then pulled Tim up next to him. “It’s a risk I am willing to take. Now come on, let me show you how sure I am.”

*****

Minutes later, Armie had a wet, naked Tim pushed against the wall of the huge walk-in shower. He was pressing grateful kisses down Tim’s long back, shocked at how badly he had missed his boyfriend’s body in the few days they had been apart.

“I am addicted to this,” he murmured, his lips brushing each vertebra. Tim moaned Armie’s name, arching his back and opening his thighs to give Armie easier access to whatever he wanted.

Armie paused when he got to the soft swell of Tim’s ass, water from the shower dripping into his eyes. He had never tasted Tim in that way, had always stopped when he had come close, but Armie was ready. He held one of Tim’s small ass cheeks, giving it a playful bite. Tim yelped and laughed, but turned serious for a moment.

“You don’t have to, Armie. I really want you to, but don’t feel…”

“Hush. I want to, baby. Now just relax and enjoy.”

Tim seemed satisfied with that, and turned back to the slippery wall, spreading his legs even wider. Armie took hold of his cheeks, pulling them apart until he had clear view of Tim’s perfect, pink hole. God, he was beautiful. Why had he waited so long to try this?

He leaned in and swiped his tongue slowly, hesitantly down Tim’s crack, not knowing what to expect, how it would taste. He was pleasantly surprised; Tim tasted mostly of soap, with just the slightest tinge of musk. With more confidence, he licked into Tim again, his tongue flat and insistent, pushing into Tim’s puckered entrance. Armie’s mouth turned up into a slight smile when Tim moaned in approval.

“Oh fuck, Armie,” he sputtered, encouraging Armie to keep going. What had he been so afraid of? Anything that gave Tim so much pleasure was worth doing well. His tongue explored further into Tim; he held his hips down firmly with strong hands as Tim writhed in pleasure.

Armie loved the sounds Tim made as he plunged his tongue in deeper, pulling apart his ass cheeks as far as he could manage in the slippery shower. He licked and sucked at Tim, trying to find the spot deep inside that would make Tim shout out. Tim’s hole was so tight, but no match for Armie’s persistent tongue, his nose buried in the flesh of Tim’s crack, water from the shower sliding down his jaw.

Suddenly Tim gasped, “Jesus Christ,” and his hips bucked back into Armie’s face. Armie reached around to grasp Tim’s throbbing cock, and began working his flesh quickly with his fist. Tim was panting hard; Armie knew he was close. Seconds later, Tim’s body jerked and come shot out, immediately mixing with the water on shower wall.

Armie stood up slowly, proud of himself but a little light-headed. The water was starting to cool down, so he grabbed the soap and washed Tim off one last time as he was catching his breath against the shower wall. Once he was cleaned up, Armie turned off the water and wrapped him in a huge, fluffy hotel towel before he even realized what had just happened.

“Wait, what about you, Armie?” Before Armie had a chance to answer, Tim had sunk to his knees and taken his boyfriend’s huge, stiff cock in his mouth. Armie accepted Tim’s mouth gratefully, leaning against the shower wall, giving a soft moan of approval. Tim’s mouth was magical; Armie had never known that a blow-job could be like this before he had experienced one of his.

Armie was already close when Tim swallowed him down. It still amazed him that Tim was able to take all of him in his mouth at once. He grabbed a handful of Tim’s wet hair as he bobbed on his dick, one hand on the shower floor, keeping his balance, the other working Armie’s shaft. Armie couldn’t stop from repeating Tim’s name over and over, gratitude and pleasure flooding through him as he came into his boyfriend’s mouth.

Tim wiped his mouth and grabbed a towel for his panting boyfriend. As Armie had done for him, Tim wrapped the towel around Armie’s broad shoulders, then leaned into his chest, wrapping his arms around Armie’s stomach. Armie pulled him close, and the two of them stood in the shower, still half wet and shivering, but not wanting to let go of the other.

“God I love you,” Armie said, his voice raspy with emotion. “Thank you, Tim.”

And Tim didn’t even have to ask what he was thanking him for.

*****

“Are you sure you shouldn’t go to that dinner?” Tim asked several minutes later as they snuggled together in the huge California King-sized bed. He worried that Armie was shirking his Gala responsibilities for him.

“Nah. Liz will be happier without me there.”

He grabbed the room service menu from the nightstand then handed it to Tim who was buried to his nose in the fluffy down comforter. “Order whatever you want. And let’s get some champagne.”

Tim grinned and opened the menu. Surf and Turf? Maybe some cavier? He wrinkled his nose. He had never actually had caviar. He decided that a burger sounded good.

He turned to tell Armie who was furiously typing out a message to someone on his phone. “Who are you texting? Everything ok?” he asked, still unsure if it was his place to ask Armie such things, but his curiosity getting the best of him.

“I’m texting my parents. I’m asking them to meet me for breakfast tomorrow.” He glanced up at Tim, a look of determination on his face. “I’m going to tell them. About me and Liz, about you. Everything.”

Tim licked his lips, his eyes wide and nervous. “Should I go with you?”

Armie laughed and shook his head. “No, babe. I wouldn’t do that to you. You can order breakfast in bed while I face the wolves. If all goes well, you’ll be meeting them at the Gala tomorrow night.”

Tim smiled in surprise. “Really?”

Armie grinned back. “Really. I want to arrive with you on my arm. Now let’s order dinner. I am famished.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you like what you've read! xo


	21. twenty-one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armie meets with his parents to tell them... everything. All fiction.... but wow, has real life seemed like fan fiction this week, or what???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week has been a roller-coaster ride, and I have to admit, it has rejuvenated me as a writer. I want both DFF Armie and real-life Armie to live their best lives, in whatever form that may take. And I think this is one of the few times that real life is actually stranger than fiction. 
> 
> As always, thank you to my readers for your continued support. And remember: writers live for comments! That is the only way we know you are reading and enjoying our work! Love to you all xoxoxo

twenty-one

Armie held Tim tight throughout the night, but got almost no sleep himself. His brain jumped from one worry to another: how he would tell his parents about Liz and Tim; how they might react; all the last minute details that needed to be completed before the Gala tomorrow night; and finally, the reactions from people to him bringing Tim (rather than Liz) as his date to his family’s biggest event of the year. Unless, of course, he was told that they would not be welcome, which was entirely possible.

He rehearsed what he would say to his parents in his head, trying to imagine their responses. He realized that he simply had no idea what they would say to him, and it was probably better to not even try to figure it out. He put that worry aside, and mentally prepared a to-do list for the next day, which included somehow finding a tuxedo for Tim in less than 12 hours. He also needed to connect one last time with Liz to make sure they were on the same page with what they would be telling people at the Gala.

Overall, Armie’s stress level was through the roof. The only thing that kept him hanging on was the thought of having Tim, dressed to the 9’s, on his arm at the event. He could endure any amount of stares or whispers to be able to have him by his side, out in the open.

Armie glanced at the clock next to the bed. It was already 3:30am; he was meeting his parents in five short hours at the hotel restaurant for breakfast. He was relieved that they were meeting somewhere public; it would reduce the chance of his mother making a scene.

Tim shifted in his arms and Armie pulled him tighter against his chest, nuzzling his nose into the soft curls on the back of Tim’s head. If he was going to get no sleep, he couldn’t have picked a better place to lay awake. His brain returned again to his mental to-do list for the next day. Eventually Armie’s brain shut-down and he fell into a restless sleep.

****

His cell phone alarm went off at 7:30 the next morning and Armie groaned miserably. His body ached as if he had gotten no sleep, and he briefly considered cancelling on his parents. But he knew this was something that had to be done immediately and properly; there could be no turning back.

Tim’s eyes fluttered open and his face immediately crinkled with worry when he saw Armie lying awake.

“Hey, good morning. Are you okay?”

Armie sighed and wrapped his arms around Tim. “Yeah, I’m alright. I’m just dreading this breakfast.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you? You know, for moral support?”

Armie caressed his lips across Tim’s bare shoulder. “I appreciate the offer, baby, and I would love to have you with me, but it would just make things more complicated. This is something I have to do alone.”

Armie’s stomach began to tighten with anxiety. Fuck, how was he even going to do this?

He dragged himself out of bed and into the shower, hoping that would revive him and perhaps give him the mental and emotional strength he needed to get through the next few hours. He threw on a t-shirt and jeans and stared at his image in the bathroom mirror. The face reflected back at him looked terrified.

_It is time to get on with the rest of your fucking life,_ Armie thought to himself. _You can do this._

The words in his head sounded braver that he felt. On the inside, he felt like the same scared little boy who had always been afraid to stand up to his parents, especially his mother. It was time for that frightened kid to grow up.

*****

Armie’s parents were already at the table when Armie arrived, making awkward small talk. They had been divorced for almost 8 years and could be pleasant to each other for short amounts of time, but their interactions were always strained. The ache in Armie’s stomach grew at the sight of them together. They were there for one reason only: to hear whatever it was that Armie had to say.

His parents stood when they saw Armie approach the table. Michael gave Armie a firm handshake and quick pat on the back; Dru hugged him briefly and kissed the air next to his cheek.

“How are you, sweetheart?” she asked.

“Everything on schedule for tonight?” Both his parents looked concerned, unsure why Armie had asked to meet them.

Armie gave a tight smile, trying to reassure them. “Everything is ready for tonight. It should go smoothly, as always.”

He caught the waitress’ eye to order. He had planned to get something to eat, but realized that there was no way he could stomach anything right now. His parents ordered their food and Armie smiled politely at the waitress. “Just coffee for me, thanks.”

After the waitress was gone, Michael frowned at Armie. “Everything okay, son? What did you want to talk to us about?”

Armie took a deep breath, wishing he had a real drink in front of him. _Here goes nothing,_ he thought.

“Liz and I have separated.”

Dru put down her coffee cup with a thud. “What? But she is here, in Los Angeles. I spoke with her yesterday!”

Armie nodded, shifting in his seat. So much to explain.

“We have split... amicably.” He hoped his face did not reveal the lie. “We are still friends, and she wanted to come and help with the Gala one last time.” He pressed his lips together, remembering how she had practically blackmailed him.

Dru sat, speechless, trying to digest what Armie was telling them.

Michael spoke. “Well, I’m sorry to hear it, but these things happen. Thank god there are no children involved.” Michael was always the pragmatist.

“When did this happen? You didn’t say anything about this when we talked a few weeks ago!” Dru exclaimed.

“It’s very recent. Things haven’t been good between us for months, but we just decided to separate a few weeks ago.”

“What does that mean, haven’t been good? What happened, Armie? You can’t just turn your back on your marriage without a good reason!” Dru’s voice grew louder and louder as she spoke. Michael gave her a stern look.

“Dru, we don’t need to know every detail. Their marriage really is not our business, as long as none of this affects tonight’s Gala. There will be no drama, right Armie?”

Armie paused and took a subtle breath. “No, no drama dad. I promise. But there is one more thing.”

Armie’s heart was beating out of his chest. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to do it, to actually say the words.

The waitress appeared out of nowhere, carrying two plates. “Who had the crème brulee pancakes? And the breakfast burrito?” She set down the plates and turned to Armie. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like something to eat, sir?”

Armie shook his head quickly. “No, I’m good, thanks.”

Dru and Michael dove into their breakfast, Armie’s last words forgotten. He sat and watched them eat in silence, trying to work up the nerve to finish telling them what he had come here to say. He took a sip of his coffee then found his voice again.

“So, I was saying before your food came, there is one more thing I need to tell you both.”

His parents looked up at the same time, expectantly. “Go on,” Michael encouraged him.

“I have been seeing someone new. I… I am actually in a pretty serious relationship.”

“I thought you said that you and Liz just separated!” Dru interjected accusingly.

“Yes, that’s true. We got pretty serious very quickly.”

Michael put down his fork. He looked concerned. “Who is she, Armie? Do we know her?”

_Fuck, just say it._

“His name is Tim. He was our neighbor. We…”

“You are with a MAN?!” Dru pushed her chair away from the table in fury. “No. Absolutely not. That is not who you are, Armand. You are confused. You are LOST!”

Michael turned to Dru and placed a cautioning hand on her arm. “Dru, calm down. We are in PUBLIC.”

Dru shook his hand off and glanced around the restaurant to see if anyone was watching them. When she was satisfied that no one was, she turned back to Armie. “You need to phone this young man and call off this _relationship_ , or whatever you want to call it, _tonight_. You are not a homosexual, Armie. That is not how you were raised!”

Armie pulled together every ounce of courage he could muster and looked his mother square in the face. “First of all, mother, I don’t have to call him because he is already here in Los Angeles. He is waiting for me in my room. He is staying with me because he is my boyfriend and I love him. And second of all, you raised me to be a small-minded, intolerant Jesus freak, so I am happy and proud to say that how I am now is NOT how I was raised. I plan on bringing Tim with me to the Gala tonight. Liz already knows.” He turned back to his father. “And as long as _she”_ he nodded towards his mother “doesn’t make drama, there will be no drama, dad. You have my word.”

Michael look concerned at this new information. “I don’t know, Armie… this is our biggest fundraiser of the year. We can’t afford to anger any of our donors or our Board members.”

“Dad, this is Los Angeles. Half of our Board of Directors are gay! I promise you, it won’t affect our fundraising. But I feel strongly about this. I come with Tim or I don’t come at all.”

Michael nodded slowly, as if thinking about Armie’s words. Suddenly, Dru stood up from her chair and began digging through her purse. When she found what she was looking for—a small bottle with a cross on it—she opened it and shook some of the liquid contents of it onto her palm.

“Well, I for one cannot stay here and listen to this blasphemy. If Armie insists on bringing his friend to the Gala, then I will be staying home. I will pray for you, Armie. I will pray for you, and my church will pray for you.” She flicked her fingers at Armie’s face so the liquid hit is cheeks. “This is holy water. I am blessing you, purifying you. _May God have mercy on your soul_.”

And with that Dru, turned on her heel and stalked out of the restaurant. Armie wiped the water droplets from his cheek in disbelief. What the fuck just happened?

“Wow,” Michael said, watching Dru leave. “And _that_ is why we are no longer married.”

He turned back to Armie. “I can’t say I am pleased with your choices, Armie. Leaving your wife suddenly for a man, then bringing him here, to your family’s event. I think it was thoughtless and a little selfish. But I am not your mother. I am not going to forbid you from coming. Just please… no scenes.”

Armie put out his hand for his father to shake. “Thank you, dad. You have my word.”

Michael pulled Armie into a tight hug. “Find your own happiness, son. If this man makes you happy, hold on to him.”

****

Armie returned to the hotel room a few minutes later, emotionally depleted. Tim took one look at him and jumped out of bed to wrap his arms tight around his seemingly broken boyfriend. As soon as Armie was safe in Tim’s grip, he let a single sob escape from somewhere deep inside his heart.

“It’s okay, baby. Let it out,” Tim whispered. “I’m here. It’s okay.”

They stood in the suite hallway for several minutes, ESPN playing in the background, Armie’s head on Tim’s shoulders, his body shaking with silent tears as Tim gently rubbed his back. Tim had never seen his normally calm, almost stoic boyfriend like this, so he knew that whatever had happened with his parents had been bad. He waited patiently for Armie to tell him in his own time.

Eventually Armie pulled away, wiping his eyes with his forearm. “I’m sorry, Tim. I feel so stupid. I’m not a kid. I shouldn’t let my fucking mother upset me so much.”

Tim grabbed a tissue from the bathroom and handed it to Armie. “Don’t you dare apologize, Armie. I’m happy that you feel comfortable enough with me to show your true feelings.”

He took Armie’s hand and led him to the bed. They sat down next to each other and Tim pulled him into another hug. “Are you feeling better? Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Armie wiped his eyes with the tissue and took a deep breath. It amazed him how secure he felt with Tim. He had never cried like that if front of Liz _ever._ He felt like he could tell Tim anything,

“My dad was shocked, but he took it pretty well. But my mom… she thinks I am possessed with the devil or some horseshit like that.” He glanced at Tim. “She threw holy water at my face.”

Tim’s mouth dropped open. “She did _what_?”

Armie had to grin at the absurdity of the whole the thing. “She told me that she would pray for my soul, and she threw holy water at me. Apparently she carries a vial of it in her purse.”

Tim let out a snort, but then quickly covered his mouth. “I’m sorry, baby. It’s just so crazy. But she’s your mom and I’m sure it hurt. I’m so sorry she did that.”

Armie shook his head and sat quietly for a moment, thinking. “I always knew that she was a religious fanatic and I would tip-toe around her because of it, hiding who I really was. But I’m done with that, Tim. If that means she’s out of my life, then that is her choice. But I’m a grown man and I can’t live my life according to her crazy ideas anymore.”

He stood up, then pulled Tim up beside him. “Come on, let’s go get you a tuxedo for tonight. You are going to look so fucking sexy. I can’t wait. I’m going to eat you alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment if you like what you've read! xoxox


	22. twenty-two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hammer Museum Gala is finally here! It's a big night for the boys <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok don't hate me, but the smut will have to wait one more chapter. EEK, I AM SO SORRY! But it's an eventful chapter, nonetheless.
> 
> Thank you all, for your continued support!!! I appreciate every comment and Kudos xoxox

twenty-two

Armie was leaning into the hallway mirror straightening his bowtie when Tim emerged from the bathroom. He was wearing his new black Gucci tuxedo--a gift from Armie, who insisted that he would need his own tuxedo from now own. Armie’s breath caught at the sight of his boyfriend looking like runway model in the suit, which perfectly fit Tim’s trim, 5’10” form.

“Wow, Tim. You look…” Armie couldn’t even finish the sentence. Tim hadn’t let Armie see him in the tux while they were at the shop, so this was his first glimpse. Until now, Armie was used to seeing Tim in joggers, jeans, or basketball shorts, often with a baseball cap on his head. Armie knew that Tim looked good in basically anything, but seeing him now, with his curls carefully styled, his cheeks flushed with excitement, in this gorgeous suit—it took Armie’s breath away.

Tim blushed at Armie’s reaction. “Thank you. And thank you again for buying it for me. I really love it. It just seems like too…”

“Tim,” Armie interrupted, “You are worth it. Please stop making me try and convince you of that and just believe it.”

Tim came up next to Armie in the hallway, their eyes meeting in the mirror, their mouths turning up into smiles at the same time as they saw their reflection. Armie wore a traditional black and white Berluti tux with a bowtie. They were a stunning couple; there was no denying it.

Armie turned to Tim and pulled him into a tight embrace. “I’m so proud to have you have on my arm tonight.”

Tim pulled back, laughing. “Hey, don’t wrinkle the Gucci.”

Armie rolled his eyes with a smirk. “You’re going to be insufferable now, aren’t you? I think I’ve created a designer clothes monster” He glanced at his Rolex. “Oh fuck, we need to go Tim. I’m introducing my dad to give a speech. He will kill me if we are late.”

*****

The Gala was at the Hammer Museum, just a short car ride from the hotel. Tim fiddled with his tie in the backseat until Armie grabbed his hands, squeezing them with reassurance.

“You look perfect, baby. I know you’re nervous, but I won’t leave your side tonight if you don’t want me to. I promise.”

Armie understood that Tim had every reason to be terrified. They were both facing a night of questions, scrutiny, and judgement. It was bad enough for Armie, who at least knew most of the Gala attendees, but Tim was facing all of this from strangers. Armie vowed to make the night as painless as possible for his boyfriend.

Tim stared gratefully into Armie’s blue eyes. The trust Armie saw reflected back at him tugged at his heart. He had to protect this beautiful man at all costs.

The car pulled up to the large entrance of the Hammer Museum behind several other Gala attendees. Armie waited for the other guests to enter the museum, not wanting to see anyone until they were inside. When the last of the other cars had pulled away, he turned to Tim.

“Ready?”

Tim took a deep breath then nodded hesitantly. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Armie signaled to the driver, and he opened the door for the men. Armie got out first, giving Tim his hand to help him out of the car. Light jazz from the Gala filtered through the closed doors of the museum onto the sidewalk. Armie leaned down and laid a gentle kiss on Tim’s cheek.

“Everything is going to be fine,” he whispered. He prayed his words would be true.

Armie took Tim’s hand and pushed open the large front door. The music immediately grew louder, and the din of a hundred laughing and chatting voices assaulted their ears. Armie could feel Tim shrink with intimidation. He squeezed his hand again, and scanned the crowd for a friendly face. He was so grateful when he saw Nick and Tyler by the bar. 

“Let’s get a drink,” he said, steering Tim in that direction. As they made their way through the crowd holding hands, Armie could see that they were already getting plenty of curious looks from other guests. He suspected that he was being rude as he brushed by many familiar faces, but he needed a drink before he could start answering questions. He ordered cocktails for him and Tim, then turned to his friends, both dressed to the nines in formal suits.

“You two clean up well. Tyler, Nick, this is Tim. Tim, these two handsome devils are my best friends, Tyler and Niki Wonder.”

The men shook hands, Tyler granting Tim a friendly grin, Nick looking him up and down a bit appraisingly, but eventually allowing a guarded smile.

“Good to meet you, Tim. We’ve heard a _lot_ about you,” Tyler said. Tim flushed with the insinuation, and mumbled thanks.

“Where are the girls? And have you seen Ash yet?” Armie looked around the large ballroom until his eyes landed on Liz chatting with some guests in the corner. She looked amazing, as always, wearing a shimmery silver dress, her hair cascading down her back in curls. Next to her, a sullen Ash glared across the room at Armie and Tim. He looked away quickly when he realized that Armie had spotted him.

Tyler followed Armie’s eyes, shaking his head in disgust when he saw Liz and Ash across the room. “They came together. He hasn’t even said hello yet. I can’t believe he’s taking her side.”

Armie downed the rest of his drink and set it on the bar with a thud. “I need to say hello. Get it over with. Tim, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

Tim hesitated and Armie could see he was conflicted. But then he finished his own drink and took Armie’s hand. “Let’s go.”

Liz and Ash were on the other side of the ballroom, and Armie again avoided all the curious looks from the Gala guests. He waved hello and nodded to a few select people, but kept moving as he made his way across the floor. He would deal with Liz first, and then everyone else.

Ash and Liz were alone by the time Armie reached them, pretending to chat but obviously waiting for the confrontation. They looked up when Armie stood in front of them.

“Armie! Tim! You both look handsome,” Liz exclaimed, her voice unnaturally high and loud.

“Thank you, Liz. You look beautiful, as always.” He turned to Ash, who was very obviously uncomfortable. “Ash, this is my boyfriend, Tim.”

Ash nodded at Tim, but did not extend a hand. “Hello.”

Armie rolled his eyes and turned back to Liz. “So you two came together?”

Ash interjected at this point. “Well, someone needs to be on Liz’s side. It would be cruel for her to have to come to this alone.”

Armie’ face contorted with annoyance, his eyes rolling and his mouth dropping open. “You have no idea what you are talking about, Ash. Liz _insisted_ on coming to this after she knew our relationship was over. She doesn’t deserve anyone’s sympathy. But thanks for having my back, friend. Anyway, I just wanted to say hello. We had agreed to be cordial at this event, so this is me being cordial. And now I am done. See you both later.”

Armie turned to leave, pulling Tim with him. Tim gave a small shrug and smile, then followed Armie back across the room.

“That was… um… wow.”

“It was about what I expected from Liz, but I am so pissed at Ash. Fuck him. He would never take Liz’s side if he knew the whole story, but he never even bothered to ask.”

The returned to the bar and got two more drinks. Armie glanced at his watch. “I have to introduce my dad and the president of the board in fifteen minutes. I need to do a round of hellos before that. Are you ready to make this official?” 

Tim nodded. “Anything will be less awkward than what just happened.”

They grabbed their drinks and Armie faced the room full of familiar and semi-familiar faces. He noticed a board member and his husband close-by; they would be an easy choice to start with.

Armie and Tim over walked to the two men with a large smile. “Jay, Stephen… so good to see you! How are you both? This is my boyfriend, Tim Chalamet. Tim, Jay is on our board, and this is his delightful husband Stephen.”

The men shook hands, and Jay turned to Armie with a small smirk. “We had no idea that you and Elizabeth were separated. I have to tell you, you’re the talk of the event. Everyone wants to know who this handsome young man is.”

Armie instinctively wrapped a protective arm around Tim and pulled him close. “We’ve been very private about it until now, but we thought this would be a good time to let everyone know. I’m so happy to finally be able introduce Tim to everyone in my life.”

Stephen smiled at Tim. “And what do you do, Tim?”

“I’m an actor. Or, trying to be, at least.”

Jay touched Armie’s shoulder. “You look very well. I’m happy for you.”

Armie couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across his face. He hoped everyone would be as accepting of his new partner as Jay and Stephen. “Thank you. So good to see you both. We should probably move along.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tim said over his shoulder. “That went well,” he said when they were out of earshot.

“It did, but don’t assume everyone is going to be so friendly. Okay, the Resnicks are our biggest donors. Put on your game face... Hello, Stewart, Lynda! How are you?”

They approached a very well-heeled older couple who smiled broadly at Armie, but the husband’s face fell when his eyes spotted Tim.

“Good, good, Armand. I see the gossip of the night is true. Is this your new gentleman friend?” 

“Yes, this is Tim Chalamet. We met in Manhattan. Tim, this is Steward and Lynda Resnick, our largest benefactors. How are Irene and Bill? Are they here tonight?”

The two couples chatted, Tim eventually winning over the elderly couple with his infectious laugh and sweet smile. Armie thanked them for their generosity, and they moved on to another group of guests. Most of the people introduced to Tim by Armie were curious but friendly, and there was no one that wasn’t taken with Tim by the end of their conversation. Armie was relieved, and thankful that his young boyfriend was so charming and likable.

They were finishing up a conversation with an older woman when Michael approached them.

“Will you excuse us, Yvonne? I need to speak with my father.” Armie turned to his father, grabbing Tim’s hand.

“Dad, I’ve been looking for you. This is Tim, my boyfriend.”

Tim put out a hand for Michael to shake. Michael looked down at his hand, but then grabbed Tim into a quick hug instead. “I have heard nothing but good things about you, Tim, from everyone who has met you tonight. It’s really good to finally meet you myself.”

Tim’s face lit up in a surprised smile, and he found Armie’s relieved eyes over Michael’s shoulder. “Nice to meet you, too, Mr. Hammer.”

“Call me Michael, please.” He let go of Tim and turned to Armie. “Your mother isn’t coming. I think that is for the best. Maybe you can talk with her again, before you return to New York?”

Armie looked down, the little boy inside him feeling abandoned by his mother yet again, but the adult in him thankful that she was not there to cause a scene. He looked back up at his father, a sad smile crossing his face.

“Maybe dad, but I doubt it. I feel like I need to close that chapter of my life, until she is ready to change. Anyway, is it time for me to introduce you? I’m ready.”

*****

Tim went to the table they were sharing with Tyler and his wife, and Nick and his date, and watched Armie make his way up to the podium to introduce his father. He had been blown away all night by Armie’s grace and charm. He had had small glimpses of this side of Armie, such as when they went to dinner and Armie had smoothly ordered the most expensive bottle of red wine on the menu. But to witness the full force of Armie’s confidence and charisma… it made Tim even more attracted to Armie, which he honestly had not thought was possible.

Armie stepped up to the podium to polite applause, gracing the guests with one of his mega-watt smiles, his canines on full display. Tim thought about that mouth wrapped around his cock the night before and almost moaned. He could not wait for this night to be over, to be alone with his Adonis of a boyfriend and let him tear him apart, piece by piece.

Tim felt his dick start fill the slightest bit, so worked to re-focus on what Armie was saying, rather than the dirty fantasies going through his mind. Armie had just started speaking, his voice a swath of plush velvet blanketing the room.

“Welcome, everyone, to my favorite event of the year, the Hammer Museum Gala, benefitting arts programs in public schools and the visiting artist program. I am excited to see such an enthusiastic turn-out, so many familiar faces and also some new ones. As many of you know, Elizabeth and I moved to Manhattan about a year ago to head up our New York philanthropic office. It was a big change for us, and as many of you have seen tonight, the first of many big changes for the two of us.” He paused as the crowd laughed, some knowingly, some nervously. He continued.

“But even though I now reside across the country, I couldn’t miss this important event, or the opportunity to introduce the man who made it all happen, the President of the Hammer Museum, my father, Michael Hammer.”

Michael walked up to the podium and gave Armie a tight hug, then turned to face the audience. Armie stepped down, relief that his part of the evening was over evident on his face. He slid back into his seat next to Tim.

“You did great, babe,” Tim whispered, nuzzling his nose into the crook of Armie’s neck.

Armie purred at the tickle on his throat, then leaned down to growl in his ear, “Let’s eat and get out of here. I’m ready to pull that suit off of you with my fucking teeth if I have to.”

They made it through Michael’s speech, dinner, and even stayed to dance a few songs (after some serious begging from Tim). But after slow dancing to Al Green’s Let Stay Together, they both decided it was time to go before things became obscene on the dance floor. Armie wanted to disappear from the Gala while no one was looking, but Tim convinced him that, as one of the organizers, he needed to say proper good-byes. They made their way around the room, until they got to Liz and Ashton’s table. They both looked as if they had had a few too many drinks; Ash had an arm draped around Liz’s chair, as if he were thinking of eventually attempting to drape it around her shoulders. Liz had a tenuous grip on a glass of white wine.

“So, Tim and I are heading out. When do you fly back to New York?”

Liz tilted her head back and laughed, as if Armie had said something extraordinarily funny. “Who knows? I may just stay. I miss L.A. Ash has offered to put me up for a few nights.”

Armie glared at Ash. “I’m sure he has. Well, let me know what your plans are. We have several details that we need to work out ourselves. Night.”

As they walked away, Armie grumbled one last time, “Fucking Liz,” and then didn’t mention her again for the rest of the trip.

*****

The couple arrived back at the hotel just as the hotel restaurant was closing.

“Let’s get a nightcap to bring back to the room,” Armie said, turning towards the restaurant to get the drinks. Tim put a hand up to stop him.

“You’ve been waiting on me all night. Let me get this last round.” Tim left before Armie had a chance to argue. He ordered their drinks, a rum and Coke for himself, a dirty Martini for his boyfriend, then headed back to the lobby. The space was almost deserted and Armie was nowhere to be found. Tim stood still, wondering where he might have gone, when he heard a piano playing in the distance.

Tim hadn’t remembered seeing a piano anywhere when they checked in, and curiosity got the better of him. He followed the music into a darkened room that appeared to be empty, aside from the baby grand in the corner. To Tim’s shock, he found his boyfriend hunched over the ivories, softly picking out the notes of Endless Love. Tim walked over slowly, not wanting to disturb the beautiful song or Armie’s concentration. He gently leaned against the piano, watching his boyfriend get lost in the music, in awe that Armie possessed yet another talent.

When the song was over, Tim slid onto the bench next to Armie, setting down the drinks on the piano.

“You are full of surprises, aren’t you?” Tim asked, letting his thigh fall against Armie’s.

“You liked that?”

“It was fucking hot.”

Armie chuckled, then stood up and closed the cover over the keyboard. “Come here,” he commanded, pulling Tim up off the bench and pushing him against the piano.

“You were perfect tonight, Tim. You charmed every fucking person at the party. You never stop amazing me. Thank you.” Armie pushed Tim’s hair off his neck and leaned down to kiss him behind his ear. Tim keened as the kiss turned to a bite.

“Fuck Armie, you’re going to leave a mark,” Tim gasped, although he actually didn’t care.

“That’s the idea,” Armie replied, his lips never leaving Tim’s skin. He slid a hand between Tim’s legs and palmed the bulge that was growing there. “God, I fucking want you. I wish I could just bend you over this piano right now. You’re like a drug, Tim.”

Tim hummed in approval, thrusting his hips into Armie’s hand, wanting Armie to grip him harder. He felt greedy and impatient, like there was no way he could wait to get back to the hotel room to come. Armie pressed hard on Tim’s erection, rubbing up and down a few times before chuckling.

“Come on, babe. We need to get out of here before we do something that could get us arrested.” He turned towards the elevator, an eager Tim at his heels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you've read, please leave a comment!!! xoxox


	23. twenty-three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm just going to say it: this chapter is 1800 words of pure smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm dedicating this chapter to Visionsofgideon1983 because today is her birthday and she is such a supportive reader who deserves ALL THE SMUT! (also, sorry it is so short! This chapter and the last chapter were supposed to be one, but I got impatient and posted the last chapter early :P)
> 
> Still like two chapters left. Which probably means like ten ;)
> 
> Thank you all for your eyes and your support!

chapter twenty-three

“Come on, babe. We need to get out of here before we do something that could get us arrested.”

Armie grabbed their drinks from the piano, and headed towards the elevator. Tim followed close behind, palming his growing erection, praying that the lobby was still deserted.

They climbed inside the thankfully empty lift and Tim pressed 12 for their floor. Armie’s hands were full, but Tim couldn’t resist sidling over to his side of the elevator and pressing against him, his hand wandering down Armie’s tux to cup his round ass.

“I’ve been fantasizing about this moment all night,” Tim murmured with a squeeze.

Armie laughed. “Careful… you don’t want me to spill our drinks.”

“Mmm, fuck our drinks. Actually, forget that, just fuck me.”

The elevator dinged and the door slid open. “That’s the plan,” Armie replied with a grin, already halfway down the hall.

Armie stepped aside to let Tim open the door to the suite. The moment they were inside, Armie set down the drinks on the hall table and reached a long arm down the hall to grab Tim who was about to go into the bathroom. Tim yelped as Armie pulled him back into the hallway, then manhandled him up against the front door.

“Armieee… I need to pee!”

“You can wait,” Armie growled, pulling Tim into a kiss that was so hard and deep that it lifted him up to his toes. He rolled his hips against Tim, making him whimper.

“Fuck, Armie, I really need to go,” he pleaded. Armie chuckled and released him.

“Go, go, you big baby,” he laughed as Tim scrambled to the bathroom. Tim gave a relieved sigh as he released a long hot stream of piss. Armie leaned against the bathroom door, watching with interest.

Suddenly, he straightened and strode over to stand behind Tim at the toilet, wrapping his own hand around Tim’s fist that was gripping his dick.

“Is this okay?” he asked, surprised at how thrilling it felt to do something so intimate with his boyfriend.

Tim gave a confused laugh. “Yeah. It’s a little weird, but… I like it? I think?” He slipped his hand out so Armie was holding him alone. “I’m done. Give it a shake.”

Armie shook his penis a bit, then slid his hand deeper into Tim’s trousers, cupping his balls then rubbing a finger against his perineum. He mouthed Tim’s throat hungrily. “I want to touch every inch of you tonight,” he said, his voice husky with want.

Tim leaned back against Armie’s chest, then wrapped his arms around his neck to give him full access to his body. He wanted to present himself as an offering to Armie, to do with his body whatever he wished.

Armie removed his hand from Tim’s pants, spinning his body around to face him. “You looked so gorgeous tonight, Tim. You just don’t even realize…”

He pulled Tim over to the bathroom mirror, standing behind him so that both their reflections gazed back. Armie’s eyes met Tim’s in the mirror; he repeated in a whisper, “So fucking beautiful.”

With his eyes still on Tim’s in the reflection, he reached up to undo Tim’s tie, pulling it slowly from around his neck, then tossing it aside. Tim leaned back against his chest again as Armie methodically undid each of his shirt buttons, then slid a rough hand into the cool fabric of Tim’s shirt. He began to gently caress Tim’s smooth chest.

Tim squirmed happily under the attention. Armie made him feel so sexy, so desirable. Armie pulled open Tim’s shirt exposing his entire abdomen, his eyes never leaving Tim’s in the mirror. His fingers found Tim’s nipples, gently rubbing the tiny nubs into hardened pebbles. Tim gave a frustrated moan, wanting more.

“Hush… patience,” Armie whispered, his palm slipping down past Tim’s stomach into his trousers, still open from his piss. Armie’s hand quickly found what it wanted, and he pulled Tim’s throbbing cock out and into full view. Tim shuddered with pleasure as Armie wrapped his fingers around Tim’s shaft, using his precome to slick up the slide of his fist.

“Fuck, Armie. Don’t stop,” Tim rasped, barely able to get the words out. He thrust his hips into Armie’s grip, wanting more but at the same time feeling overwhelmed. Watching his hot boyfriend--still fully dressed in his tuxedo--slowly strip him bare and take him apart in the mirror was almost too much for Tim.

Armie’s hand started a steady rhythm up and down Tim’s shaft. He watched in fascination as Tim’s eyes closed and his mouth fell open, his body responding to the movement. Armie’s own erection was throbbing and needy of attention, but his focus was on Tim now: making him feel good, and on his own delight at getting to witness Tim’s pleasure.

Tim’s breathing began to get ragged and his hips started to buck faster into Armie’s fist-- he was closing in on an orgasm. Armie stilled his hand and murmured into Tim’s ear, “Don’t come. I want to be inside you.”

Tim’s eyes flew open, meeting Armie’s in the mirror. He gave a quick, almost imperceptible nod, and gasped, “Yes, please.”

Armie withdrew his hand and began to undo his own bowtie, then unbutton his shirt.

“Take off your clothes and get on the bed,” he commanded Tim, who immediately complied, shrugging off his dress shirt and kicking off his trousers that were puddled around his thighs.

Armie smirked at the speed with which his horny boyfriend obeyed. He quickly pulled off his own dress shirt and pants, then grabbed the tube of lube that he had packed in his shaving kit. As he squeezed a generous dollop onto his palm and smoothed it over his aching erection, he heard a whine coming from the bedroom: “Armieeee, come _on_! You’re taking too long!”

Armie gave one last glance at his naked form in the mirror, his large erection jutting out in front of him like the barrel of a tank. He nodded at his reflection in approval and took a quick second to check in with himself: getting ready to fuck his beautiful boyfriend in his tight, hot ass? Yup, he was happy with the turn his life had taken.

Armie left the bathroom and walked down the short hallway to the sleeping area to find Tim spread-eagle with his knees bent across the king-sized bed. He had one arm draped lazily over his head, the other reaching through his legs and under his hips as worked himself open with two of his fingers.

As Armie entered the room, his face lit up with a wide smile. “I’m ready for you, baby.”

Armie grinned back. What had he done right in his existence to deserve this? They had only had sex a few times; it was all still so new and exciting for Armie, and often was over too fast. Not tonight. He walked over and caressed a tender hand down Tim’s leg to where Tim’s nimble fingers were pressing deep inside of him.

“Let me,” he directed in a soft voice.

Tim withdrew his fingers as Armie crawled between his legs. Tim gasped when Armie’s much thicker fingers replaced his own, pressing against the pucker of his entrance. Armie slid one finger into his tight heat, and then another, pressing deep until Tim let out an anguished whimper of need.

“ _Now_ , Armie. I need you inside me. Fuck, _please!”_

Tim was starting to beg and Armie knew that he had better stop teasing him before he got frustrated. He pulled out his fingers, then lifted Tim’s hips up to his waist, carefully placing one of Tim’s legs on each of his shoulders. Tim watched this all quietly, eagerly, biting his lips in anticipation. Armie lined up his throbbing cock against Tim’s hole, now pink and gaping, and pushed—sliding all the way in until his entire shaft was buried inside Tim. Tim let out a surprised shout at having the entirety of Armie’s huge cock so quickly inside him.

Armie chuckled as he rocked his hips into Tim. “You said you wanted it, baby. So you got it. You got _all_ of it. Now hang on tight.”

Armie began to fuck him with focus and intent, wanting them both to feel it in every cell of their bodies. Tim barely was able to stutter out the words, “I’m… not… complaining!” between each lunge. He reached up to hold onto the headboard, needing something to steady him as his boyfriend drove into him relentlessly. Tim held on and rode out the fuck like a bucking bronco. After several minutes, he felt his orgasm bubbling out from deep inside his asshole, through his veins, out to his limbs, making his toes curl and breathing jagged.

“Fuck Armie, fuckfuckfuckfuck…”

Tim let go of the headboard, one hand clawing at Armie’s shoulder, the other frantically jerking his erection. Armie’s hips were pounding into Tim at lightning speed, his own release on the horizon. Tim felt himself tip over that amazing crest and his orgasm washed over him, his entire body shivering with the sensation. Seconds later, he felt Armie swell and release inside him, filling him with hot come.

Armie fell on top of Tim, a sweaty, pulsing mess of a human. He kissed Tim again, hot and wet, murmuring, “Thank you baby, thank you thank you” into his mouth.

After Armie had caught his breath and pressed a few gentle kisses to the top of Tim’s head, he carefully pulled out of Tim, come leaking out from Tim’s hole onto the hotel bedspread.

“Shit. Let me get a towel to put over that and a wash cloth to clean us up.” Armie disappeared from the bed to retrieve the necessities, giving Tim a minute to drink some much needed water, fluff the pillows, and adjust to a more comfortable position. Armie returned a minute later with a satisfied grin, crawling back onto the bed to clean up the mess on the bed and on his boyfriend.

“Better now?” he asked.

Tim sighed and nodded. “All better.”

Armie threw the defiled towel onto the floor and pulled Tim close to him, their slick, sweaty bodies sticking together. “I am so happy that you made the crazy decision to get on a plane and come here for me. I love you, Tim Chalamet.”

Tim didn’t reply but nuzzled to Armie’s chest, his hair tickling Tim’s cheek.

“How about tomorrow I show you all my favorite spots in LA? And then we can meet Tyler and Jaci for dinner?”

“Sounds perfect,” Tim mumbled, as he let his eyes fall shut, slipping into a post-sex slumber.

It was all perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you have read, please leave a comment! xoxox


	24. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the journey for these boys. Six months later...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter! I am both sad and relieved to be done with this fic. Hopefully this final chapter does Tim and Armie's story justice. Thank you to my readers for sticking with this story, despite the Liz and Lily tags ;) Your readership means everything to me!
> 
> xoxox

Epilogue

_six months later…_

“I think that’s the last box of your shoes. Dude, I think you have a problem. FOUR boxes of shoes? We’re going to need a second apartment just for your wardrobe. And yet, you wear the same pair of Adidas every day!”

Tim gave Armie a loving push, used to his teasing by now. “You know I save my other shoes for special occasions. Leave me alone. Anyway, you have an entire extra closet in the guest room. I’m sure my wardrobe is smaller than Liz’s was.”

Armie snorted. “Well, that is true. She filled an entire U-haul with just clothes.” He paused for a moment, as if thinking. “She called the other day.”

Tim looked up from the floor where he was sorting tee-shirts. “Yeah? And how is she?”

Armie shrugged. “She’s finally found a house to rent in Beverly Hills. I think she forgot how expensive that area can be.” He covered his mouth to hide a laugh. “I think she may have to get a job.”

“A JOB?! You’re kidding. Not Queen Liz!”

Tim tried not to be malicious when it came to Liz—he had her man, after all—but sometimes he allowed himself to be just a bit petty. She had really worked at making Armie’s life hell when they got back from Los Angeles. Every step they took—the formal separation, negotiating alimony, Liz moving out of the apartment and back to Los Angeles—she had argued and debated and was generally stubborn and spiteful. It was as if she had forgotten that she had cheated, too, and just wanted to make sure she made their lives difficult while she was still in them.

“Yup. I think her dream of living on my money and her Instagram earnings is proving to be just that—a dream. But she does have a degree in journalism. She's attractive and can be charming when she wants to be. And she's smart, in some ways. She'll find something.”

Tim shrugged and returned to his task. “I’ll be happy when she’s not our problem anymore.”

Armie lowered himself down on the floor next to Tim, leaning over to kiss him. “Same. So… are you nervous?”

Tim had been cast in the lead in his first Broadway role: Charlie in the play Admissions. It was press night that evening, the showing that theater critics traditionally attended. It was a night that could unsettle even the most seasoned actor, but Tim felt prepared.

“I’m always nervous, but I’m ready. And it helps knowing that you will be there.”

“I wouldn’t miss it, baby.”

A knock at the door interrupted them. Tim scrambled to his feet. “Pauline. She must have found something else of mine.”

He pulled the door open, but his parents, rather than Pauline, stood in the doorway.

“Happy moving-in day, sweetie!” Nicole was holding a pan of brownies; Marc, a giant potted plant.

“Your mother insisted that we bring this. Armie complimented it once, so now it’s yours. _Toutes nos felicitations._ ”

Tim took the plant from his father’s arms, kissing him lightly on both cheeks. “Thank you, _papa_. I am sure Armie will love it.”

“We stopped at Pauline’s. She’s coming down later, too.” Nicole said, walking into kitchen to put the pan down. “I think she just wants some brownies.”

Tim bit his lip from making an irritated remark--he really wanted some alone time with Armie before he had to leave for the theater. But he loved his family and even more than that, his family adored Armie. Watching his mother basically fall in love with Armie after he had been rejected by his own mother six months ago had been a beautiful thing. Armie deserved nothing less than total love and acceptance.

“Okay, cool. We’re just finishing up unpacking and organizing. I’ll make some coffee.”

Armie came out then, his arms full of empty boxes. His face lit up at the sight of Nicole and Marc, and a few minutes later, Pauline arrived, complaining about the scuff marks Tim had left all over the front door during the move. Tim had stayed in the apartment until she was ready to move back from Paris so she wouldn’t have to find another subletter for such a short period of time. But in reality, he was at Armie’s almost every night.

Tim set out the brownies, got everyone some coffee, then settled into an arm chair with his own brownie and glass of milk. While everyone else chatted, he looked around the living room at his family, comfortable and happy in Armie’s apartment. _In his and Armie’s apartment._ He shook his head in wonder at how much a life can change in half a year. All for the better.

*****

Tim was leaning into his dressing room mirror, scrubbing off his stage makeup, when Armie gave two quick knocks and walked in.

“You were fantastic, baby. Your best performance yet.” Armie’s face glowed with pride. He had only seen Tim on-stage a handful of times, and still could not get over how talented his boyfriend was.

“Really? You’re just saying that.”

Armie wrapped his arms around Tim from behind, their eyes meeting in the mirror. “I would not do that. You are always amazing, but you were _extra_ amazing tonight. You knocked the audience on their asses.”

Tim spun in his seat and pulled the gentle giant hovering over him onto his lap. Armie hooted and laughed in surprise, but then settled in, trying not to crush Tim too much.

“You’re my lucky charm. I wish you could be at every performance.”

Armie gave a soft smile, slipping a hand under Tim’s chin to look into his mossy green eyes. He had fallen a little deeper in love with this man every day since he had met him. Would he ever hit the bottom of this well of feelings? It felt so out of control. Sometimes the intensity terrified him.

“Me, too. I wish my work wasn’t kicking my ass so hard lately.” Armie had recently been promoted to the head of the Manhattan office of the Hammer Foundation. It was an exciting but exhausting change. “So, should we get some dinner?”

“Let’s go!”

*****

The next morning, Armie woke before Tim (as he usually did), and stole out of bed to get his laptop. He knew Tim would want to check his reviews as soon as he woke, and Armie wanted to be prepared. Sure enough, as soon as he crawled back into bed, Tim rolled over and nuzzled Armie’s shoulder with his nose. He eyes slowly slid open, and when he saw that Armie had his computer, he pushed himself up to a sitting position.

“Are you looking up reviews?” he asked, his voice small with nerves.

Armie leaned down to kiss the top of his head. “Don’t be nervous, baby. Have you ever gotten a bad review in your life?” He opened his laptop and signed in. “Is that alright? Or would you rather I not look?” 

Tim nodded for Armie to proceed, then pulled a pillow onto his lap, as if to provide him protection from any potential criticism. Armie stayed quiet for several minutes, scrolling and clicking.

“Okay, here’s one.” He read for a few minutes, then his face broke into a grin. “This guy loved you.” He started to read.

“Young Chalamet is a forceful presence, playing Charlie with raw conviction and impressive physicality.” He looked over at Tim, who was peeking out from his pillow. “All good. Another one?”

Tim nodded, sending Armie scrolling again.

“Oh, this one is great: ‘The extraordinarily gifted Chalamet is the soul of the show, infusing the morally conflicted Charlie with a humanity not usually seen in other productions. We--the audience—feel empathy for his character, despite his oftentimes reprehensible actions, thanks to Chalamet’s nuanced and heartfelt performance.’ Wow, Tim. You couldn’t ask for a more positive review than that. Do you feel better now?”

Tim nodded silently, overwhelmed by the words Armie had read. Armie sensed that he needed him at that moment. He put his laptop aside and pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug.

“I am so fucking proud of you, Tim.”

As Armie held Tim, he felt his boyfriend’s penis give a small twitch against his thigh. Tim was still half-hard from the night, and had started subtly grinding against Armie’s leg.

Armie chuckled. “Did all those accolades turn you on?” he asked, rubbing his thigh up and down against Tim’s thickening cock.

Tim pulled himself up so he was straddling Armie’s leg, grinding on it like a dog in heat. “Mmm hmm,” he murmured, too focused on taking care of himself to answer properly.

“Jesus Tim,” Armie said in wonder with an appreciative laugh. He grasped Tim under his armpits and pulled him up until their chests were flush together.

“Let me do that for you,” he said, spitting into his hand then reaching between their bodies. Tim whimpered as Armie closed his fist around him, slow and firm, one finger at a time. He thrust his hips up, gasping at the easy slide of Armie’s spit-slickened hand.

“I love it when you’re such a slut for me,” Armie growled, moving his hand up and down Tim’s shaft. He had learned in the last six months that Tim loved dirty talk—the filthier the better. Armie had gotten quite good at talking nasty. “Tell me what you want, baby. Do you want to be stuffed with my hard cock? Or do you just want to come like this?”

Tim’s mouth was open and wet against Armie’s neck. Armie could tell he was already close--he could barely reply. “Like… this. Fuck me… with your fingers….”

“So demanding.” Armie paused what he was doing to reach into his nightstand which had become a sexual toy box for the boys in the last few months. He pushed aside a butt plug and dildo to grab the lube. He quickly slicked up two fingers, then slid Tim off of him and to the side. Tim was pliant, like a recently fucked rag doll.

“Open your legs, baby.” Armie hovered over him, taking his shaft in one hand, while the other snaked between Tim’s thighs. He tapped Tim’s hole a few times to tease him. Tim moaned and bucked his hips. He both loved it and hated it when Armie tormented him this way.

“It’s been a few days. I bet you’re going to be so fucking tight.” He slowly circled Tim’s entrance with two fingers, then pushed into Tim’s fleshy depths. He was right—Tim’s hole was snug around his finger. He let his finger slowly sink in, enjoying the desperate noises his boyfriend was making.

“Another,” Tim rasped. Armie had already started to push in a second finger. He slid in deep, crooking them a bit towards Tim’s belly. His other hand was a blur on Tim’s dick. Tim writhed on the bed, completely taken over by his lurid feelings. He gasped one last, “Fuck Armie,” and with a final thrust of his hips, he came in a forceful gush all over Armie’s hand.

Armie leaned down to give Tim a deep kiss, squeezing his dick to extract every last drop of release. Tim sighed; a hazy, just-fucked smile covered his face.

“This was a good morning,” he said, his eyes starting to fall close again. Armie kissed his forehead, then reached over to the nightstand to grab a tissue.

“You deserve it, baby. You deserve everything.” He tenderly cleaned up Tim first, then his own sticky hand, smiling as Tim fell back asleep. His heart was so fucking full.

*****

Tim had just gotten out of the shower a few hours later to find Armie sprawled across their bed, deep in conversation on his phone. Tim perched on the bed next to him, shooting him a curious look. Armie mouthed, ‘Tyler,’ then laughed at something his friend said. Tim nodded and returned to the bathroom to shave. Tyler had been their biggest cheerleader since they had come out as a couple at the Gala six months ago. Tim adored him almost as much as Armie did. Snippets of their conversation filtered through the bathroom door.

“What happened to the Greek shipping magnate guy?.... Oh, he was as asshole anyway. But she seemed happy with him. Or his money at least…. You’re kidding! Isn’t he like 50? Well, whatever, she isn’t my problem anymore. Thank god. So are you still planning a visit next month?.... Just you or the entire family?.... No, that’s perfect. We can go clubbing. Tim will be thrilled to have someone to dance with. I think we’re planning a trip to LA in a few months anyway, to see my dad and all of you. We can see Jaci and the kids then…. Ok, cool. Talk to you soon. Bye, brother.”

Tim came out of the bathroom when he heard the conversation was over. “Liz has a new man already?”

Armie sat up to take in the sight of his boyfriend, who was wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. Droplets of water still clung to his smooth chest; his wet hair was slicked back away from his face, showing off his chiseled jawline. “Well, don’t you look like a snack-and-a-half. Come here.”

Tim smirked. “I knew I should have gotten you off too, earlier. Sorry, babe. I have to be at the theater for the matinee in 40 minutes. No time. Tell me about Liz.”

Armie rolled his eyes. “When do we get to stop caring about her love life? Anyway, she has already dumped Pietros and is now dating some 50 year-old financial guy. I think she is looking to get herself into a Sugar Daddy situation. To be honest, I think that is what she always wanted. So, we’ll see how long this one lasts for. Anyway, I made you a smoothie and there are some bran muffins still if you want one.”

Tim wrinkled his nose and he pulled on his jeans. “Thank you for the smoothie. I’ll pass on the bran muffin.” He walked over and gave Armie a quick kiss. “You eat it. I plan on fucking you silly tonight, so you’ll need it.”

Armie let out a faux-shocked snort. “You horny little honey badger! Okay then, I’ll eat the muffin and make sure I’m ready for you when you get home.”

Armie followed Tim out to the living room to watch him finish getting ready. It was Saturday, and the only thing he had on his agenda for the day was working out. Tim grabbed the smoothie, and walked over to kiss Armie goodbye.

“Break a leg tonight. You are incredible. Don’t ever forget that.” He knew Tim was running late, but he couldn’t let him go without feeling him against his body one last time. He pulled Tim to him, inhaling the citrus scent from his shampoo, relishing Tim’s solidity in his arms.

“I love you, Armie. Thank you for this morning.” Tim let himself be held for a few more seconds, then pulled away. “Okay, I gotta go!”

And like that he was gone. Armie went to get himself the last of the morning’s coffee from the kitchen and took it out to his balcony. It was a cool fall morning, Armie’s favorite season in New York. He settled into one of the balcony chairs and looked out over Central Park. The leaves were just starting to turn and there was the slightest nip in the air.

Armie took a deep breath of the autumn air and let his mind wander back to Tim’s very first visit to his condo, over seven months ago. Even though Armie had still been married to Liz at the time, the sensation that he and Tim had both had that afternoon—that it had been like a first date—turned out to be true. They had somehow bonded that day, over steak and beer and baseball and movies, and had never looked back.

Armie took a long sip of his coffee and wondered what his life would be like if he hadn’t had the nerve to ask Tim to come over that day. He shuddered to even imagine, then pushed the thought aside. No point in torturing himself with ‘what-ifs.’ Thank god, it had happened. Tim had shown up in his life, like sexual quicksand, sucking Armie in, allowing him to transform into the man he was always meant to be. Sometimes Armie felt undeserved of all this happiness, but he was slowly learning to acknowledge those feelings for what they were—manifestations of his mother’s disapproval. And she was out of their life, for the moment at least.

Armie finished the last lukewarm sip of his coffee, set his mug down, and just allowed himself to think about Tim, and to just _be_.

To be content; to be in love; to truly, honestly, and completely be himself.

_Finally._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you've read, please leave a comment! They mean everything to us writers xoxox


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